Bloss® Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Bloss® apples are a medium to large varietal, averaging 6.5 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and have a uniform, round, oblate to ovoid shape with sloping square shoulders, a broad middle, and a narrow, flat base. The apples typically range from 200 to 300 grams in weight, depending on growing conditions, and have an elongated, woody, green-brown stalk connected to the fruit through a medium-deep cavity. This cavity is often filled with sandy-textured russet that sometimes spills out onto the fruit’s shoulders. The skin is semi-thick, smooth, glossy, and taut, showcasing prominent white to yellow lenticels. There can be as many as 200 lenticels scattered across the surface of a single apple, and the fruits feature an occasional blush during cultivation that disappears or can be easily removed. Bloss® apples ripen to yellow-green base hues and are almost entirely covered in a dark red, burgundy, to crimson blush. The blush envelops around 60 to 80% of the fruit and is either solid in color or contains variegated hues of red striping and mottling. Underneath the skin, the ivory to cream-colored flesh is firm, compact, and aqueous with a crisp, crunchy, and lightly fizzy consistency. The flesh also encases a small central core filled with tiny, black-brown, obovate to elliptic seeds about 3 to 5 millimeters in length. Bloss® apples are edible when ripe and release a fragrant, rich, and fruity scent. The apples should feel heavy for their size, indicating juice content, and can be eaten with the skin. Bloss® apples reach 13 to 15 degrees Brix, a unit of sugar measurement, creating a sweet taste combined with subtle acidity developing a balanced, sweet, sour, and zesty flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Bloss® apples are harvested in mid to late September and can be professionally stored through May.
Current Facts
Bloss® apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a modern European variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The cultivar was commercially released in the early 21st century and is a mid to late season club variety valued for its disease resistance, sweet flavor, and crunchy texture. Bloss® apples were specifically bred to exhibit multiple apple scab resistance and powdery mildew tolerance, two of the main diseases creating hardships within the commercial apple industry. This allows for the fruits to be sprayed less during cultivation, and the variety has been nicknamed as “future proof,” created to withstand modern challenges. Bloss® apples grow on trees reaching three meters in height and the fruits ripen in approximately 160 to 170 days. Growers favor the cultivar for its high yields, consistent bearing, and above average pack out rate. The apples also exhibit a fairly uniform size and shape and ripen during a late period ideal for growers to extend their season. Since their commercial release in 2024, Bloss® apples have been promoted with the slogan “Grown to be loved” and are seen as an everyday, multi-purpose variety utilized for raw and cooked culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Bloss® apples, like other modern, bi-colored varieties, may be a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin E to protect the cells against free radical damage, and calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Apples also provide magnesium to control nerve functions, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, vitamin C to boost the immune system, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, and other nutrients, including phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and vitamin K. The apple's pigmented skin contains anthocyanins, natural compounds with antioxidant-like properties to help reduce inflammation.
Applications
Bloss® apples have a balanced, sweet, and sour taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is primarily consumed out of hand and is savored for its crunchy and juicy nature. Bloss® apples are commonly sliced and served with dips, displayed on appetizer platters, especially with cheese, or topped over toast, pizza, and crostini as a crisp addition. The apples can also be used as an edible garnish over grain bowls, parfaits, and overnight oats or they can be sliced and tossed into salads. Bloss® apples are used in any preparation calling for a sweet and crisp apple. While less common, the variety is sometimes simmered into jams, jellies, and sauces. Bloss® apples can also be blended into smoothies and shakes or pressed into juice for fruit punches and cocktails. Try sautéing the fruits in browned butter and spices as a decadent topping over ice cream or baking into crisps, crumbles, tarts, pies, and muffins. Bloss® apples pair well with nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds, vanilla, maple syrup, chocolate, peanut butter, spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, and fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and stone fruit. Whole, unwashed Bloss® apples will keep for several weeks to months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place such as a cellar or the refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Bloss® apple is the brand name for the Wurtwinning apple variety. Wurtwinning, also written as WURtwinning, is a cultivar created through the Wageningen University & Research Breeding Program in the Netherlands. The capitalized portion of the name stands for the University’s initials, WUR, and most varieties created from this program have these letters within the name. The Bloss® brand name was chosen from a combination of the words “blossom” and “bloom,” a blend embodying the beauty found in nature. This branding was unveiled at the Fruit Logistica 2024 convention in Berlin, and to highlight the release, the FruitMasters booth featured a performance dedicated to capturing the essence of the new variety.
Geography/History
Bloss® apples are native to Europe and were developed in the Netherlands through the Wageningen University & Research Breeding Program at Wageningen University. The variety was created from a cross in Elst in 2004 and was bred from Honeycrisp apples, the female or seed parent, and a proprietary apple labeled SQ159, the male or pollen parent. The goal was to produce a new variety with increased resistance to common apple diseases, mainly apple scab, or Venturia inaequalis. After the initial cross, the variety was placed in extensive testing and evaluations. Eventually a seedling was selected around 2010 and was grafted in Randwijk, the Netherlands, through 2012, passing evaluations for introduction as a new apple cultivar. The variety was initially named Wurtwinning. In 2023, Fresh Forward, a European Fruit Breeder who partners with Wageningen University, formed an agreement with Dutch company FruitMasters to allow FruitMasters exclusive rights over Wurtwinning apples. FruitMasters later released the variety under the brand name Bloss® in 2024 at the Fruit Logistica conference in Berlin, and the apples are currently being grown through select partners in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany. When in season, Bloss® apples are somewhat challenging to find as they are still relatively new. The variety is sold through select growers, distributors, and retailers in Europe.
