Golden Delicious


'Golden Delicious' is a yellow apple, one of the 15 most popular cultivars in the United States. It is not closely related to 'Red Delicious'.
'Golden Delicious' was one of four apples honored by the United States Postal Service in a 2013 set of four 33¢ stamps commemorating historic strains, joined by 'Northern Spy', 'Baldwin', and 'Granny Smith'.

History

This cultivar is a chance seedling, possibly a hybrid of 'Grimes Golden' and 'Golden Reinette'. The original tree was found on the Mullins' family farm in Clay County, West Virginia, United States, and was locally known as Mullin's Yellow Seedling and Annit apple. Anderson Mullins sold the tree and propagation rights to Stark Brothers Nurseries for $5000, which first marketed it as a companion of their Red Delicious in 1914.
In 2010, an Italian-led consortium announced they had decoded the complete genome of the 'Golden Delicious' apple. It had the highest number of genes of any plant genome studied to date.
'Golden Delicious' was designated the official state fruit of West Virginia by a Senate resolution on February 20, 1995. Clay County has hosted an annual Golden Delicious Festival since 1972.
Other West Virginia apples include 'Grimes Golden', and 'Guyandotte', which is believed extinct.

Appearance and flavor

'Golden Delicious' is a large, yellowish-green skinned cultivar and very sweet to the taste. It is prone to bruising and shriveling, so it needs careful handling and storage. It is a favorite for salads, apple sauce, and apple butter.

Season

'Golden Delicious' are harvested from fall through winter.

Descendant cultivars