Laxton’s Fortune Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Laxton’s Fortune apples are a small to medium-sized varietal, averaging 5 to 7 centimeters in diameter, and have a uniform round to conical shape with flat shoulders tapering to a slightly narrower base and a semi-thin brown, woody stem. The apple’s skin is thin, smooth, and glossy, showcasing a few faint yellow lenticels. The apple also has a yellow-green base, covered in brick red blush overlaid with maroon to crimson variegated striping. Underneath the surface, the flesh is firm, crisp, and aqueous, encasing a moderately-sized core filled with dark brown, oval seeds. The ivory to cream-colored flesh is generally coarse and dense, but as the variety matures, it will soften if left on the tree for extended periods. Laxton’s Fortune apples have a sweet, aromatic, and subtly tangy flavor best enjoyed fresh. Some apple enthusiasts note that there may also be a banana to anise-like aftertaste, but these notes are subtle and often unnoticeable under the sweet flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Laxton’s Fortune apples are available in the fall through winter.
Current Facts
Laxton’s Fortune apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a mid-season English variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The moderately-sized apple tree is a biennial bearer, meaning it produces a heavy crop one year, only to be followed by a low production rate the following year. Laxton’s Fortune apples were developed from cox orange pippin apples, one of England's most beloved dessert cultivars. The apples retain a similar flavor profile to the cox orange pippin, but the variety was selectively bred to be easier to grow and showcase improved disease resistance. The cultivar also matures in the middle of the season, filling the gap between other early and late dessert apples. Laxton’s Fortune apples are primarily grown in home gardens and private orchards throughout the United Kingdom. The apples are also cultivated on a small scale for commercial use, marketed as a variety to immediately be consumed fresh to savor the cultivar’s light and sweet flavor.
Nutritional Value
Laxton’s Fortune apples are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract and potassium to balance fluid levels within the body. The apples also provide vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, calcium and phosphorus to protect bones and teeth, phytonutrients to act as antioxidants to guard cells against free radical damage, and contain other amounts of vitamin E, B vitamins, and vitamin K.
Applications
Laxton’s Fortune apples have a sweet, subtly tangy flavor well suited for fresh preparations. The variety has a delicate nature and short shelf life, consumed straight, out of hand to appreciate the apple’s authentic flavor. Laxton’s Fortune apples can be eaten with or without the skin and are used in a wide variety of raw dishes, including salads, appetizer plates, and slaws. The apples can be sliced and dipped in melted chocolate or caramel as a sweet treat, used as a fresh topping over breakfast dishes, or layered on peanut butter toast. Laxton’s Fortune apples can also be served with soft cheeses, roughly chopped and sprinkled over roasted meats, or blended into smoothies as a sweet flavoring. In addition to fresh preparations, Laxton’s Fortune apples are utilized in commercial ciders as a base flavoring. In England, Laxton’s Fortune apples are pressed and bottled as a specialty apple juice at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk County. The estate is one of the Queen’s country homes, and much of the 20,000-acre estate is farmland. Experts believe King George VI was the first to plant apple trees at Sandringham, and the larger orchards were established in 1953. In the present day, Sandringham Estate grows enough apples to create 140,000 bottles of premium apple juice annually, and the juice is sold across England and is also used at royal events in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Laxton’s Fortune apple juice has a delicate, tannic, and sweet flavor and is labeled as a dessert juice. Laxton’s Fortune apples pair well with cheeses such as brie, cheddar, camembert, cream, and ricotta, honey, cinnamon, nuts including pecans, pistachios, walnuts, and almonds, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. Whole, unwashed Laxton’s Fortune apples have a short shelf life and will only keep 2 to 3 weeks when stored in the refrigerator's crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Thomas Laxton was an English businessman and nurseryman who began plant breeding in 1858. Laxton initially bred strawberry and pea varieties in the village of Tinwell and was known for his scientific-based cultivation methods, using selective breeding to create improved fruit varieties. He later moved the business to Bedford, England, in 1879, where the nursery remained for many years. Thomas Laxton later passed away in 1893, but the company was continued through his son Edward Laxton and his brother William. Both Edward and William changed the nursery’s name to Laxton Brothers and focused on breeding apples, strawberries, plums, and other fruits. The Laxton Brothers Nursery released over 182 new varieties of fruits, and the nursery spanned across 140 acres of land for several generations until its closure in 1957. Many new apple cultivars were developed through the nursery, including Laxton’s Fortune and Laxton’s Superb, and in the modern-day, these apple varieties are still grown in England. The name Laxton is a descriptor used for identification purposes of the apple cultivars created through the nursery. Laxton varieties are highly regarded across England, and there are at least seventeen apple cultivars with Laxton in their name. In reference to Laxton’s Fortune, the variety was given the Laxton descriptor to differentiate the apple from an American fortune cultivar bred by Cornell University in 1995.
Geography/History
Laxton’s Fortune apples were developed through the Laxton Brothers Nursery in 1904. The variety was created from a cox orange pippin and a wealthy apple in Bedfordshire, England, and was released in 1931 to growers for private and commercial gardening. Laxton’s Fortune apples received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, or RHS, in 1932 and later received an RHS First Class Certificate in 1948, a prestigious award given to varieties with exemplary characteristics. Today Laxton’s Fortune apples are a rare variety only grown on a small scale through local markets and farm stands. The variety is also planted in private home gardens as a historical cultivar.
