Bismarck Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Bismarck apples are variable in size, depending on growing conditions, and average 7 to 9 centimeters in diameter and 6 to 7 centimeters in length. The apples have a uniform to irregular, conical to round shape and feature broad, blocky, flat shoulders and a flat, lightly tapered, sometimes slanted base. The skin is semi-thick, taut, smooth, firm, and matte, covered in some ribbing and faint lenticels. The skin also has a green base hue with muted, light to dark red blush patches. The blush sometimes features crimson striping and can be solid or transparent beneath the mottling, determined by the amount of sunlight exposure. There is also occasionally a raised, textured russet in the stem cavity. Underneath the surface, the white-to-ivory flesh is tinged with pale green and has a firm, dense, fine-grained, and aqueous nature with a crisp and chewy consistency. The flesh also encases a central fibrous core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Bismarck apples emit a fragrance, sweet, and fruity aroma and have an acidic, sharp, sour, tart, and sometimes astringent taste when raw. Once cooked, the variety develops a refreshing, brisk, sweet, and tangy flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Bismarck apples are harvested in the fall, typically in early October. Once picked, the variety can be kept in professional cold storage until mid-spring.
Current Facts
Bismarck apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are an heirloom cooking variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The mid-to late-season cultivar originated in Australia and was released in the late 19th century as a variety favored for its fragrant, acidic, and bright flavor when cooked. Historically, growers valued Bismarck apple trees for their consistent yields, large crops, and the fruit’s ability to hang on the tree at maturity. The variety reached the height of its popularity in the early 20th century, especially in England and Australia, and became a favored cooking apple for various sweet and savory preparations. In the modern day, Bismarck apples have faded from commercial production and have become a rare cultivar only grown in private orchards. Bismarck apples are sometimes known as Bismark and Prince Bismarck apples and are a specialty variety grown more as a historical novelty than for the public.
Nutritional Value
Bismarck apples have not been studied for their nutritional properties. Apples, in general, are a source of calcium to protect bones and teeth, magnesium to control nerve functions, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and vitamin E to guard cells against the damage caused by free radicals. Apples also provide vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, zinc to help the body fight against viruses, and other nutrients, including manganese, copper, and vitamin B6.
Applications
Bismarck apples have a tart, bright, subtly sweet, and acidic taste suited for cooked preparations. The variety is not typically consumed raw due to its astringent flavor, but when cooked, the flesh breaks down into fragrant puree. Bismarck apples were once popularly used as cooking apples throughout Australia and England. The variety can be baked into bars, cakes, fritters, muffins, and bread. They can also be simmered into a filling for strudels, doughnuts, crisps, and crumbles. In addition to baked goods, Bismarck apples can be cooked into applesauce as a side to savory main dishes. They can also be incorporated into sauces, jams, jellies, and butter. Beyond culinary uses, Bismarck apples are sometimes used as an acidic apple variety in cider blends. Bismarck apples pair well with salted caramel, vanilla, maple syrup, spices such as cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and fruits including blackberries, blueberries, and pears. Whole, unwashed Bismarck apples will keep for several months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, such as a cellar or the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. It is recommended that the variety is consumed within six weeks of harvest for the best quality and flavor. In professional cold storage, Bismarck apples can last up to four months.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Bismarck apples were rumored to have been named after Otto Von Bismarck, the former prime minister of Prussia. Otto Von Bismarck was notably known for uniting the 39 individual states into one Germanic nation in 1871. He was also nicknamed the “Iron Chancellor” because of his reputation for initiating strategic wars, being a strict negotiator, and later acting as the newly formed German nation’s first chancellor. Around the same time as the height of Otto Von Bismarck’s career, the new apple variety in Australia was discovered and named after the leader. Bismarck apples were also used to model a wax apple added to the wax fruit collection at the Melbourne Museum in Australia. The model was made in 1875, and the wax fruit collection holds over 1,800 fruit and vegetable models created between 1873 and 1960. The wax fruit collection was a project to showcase the various fruits and vegetables grown in Victoria, Australia, to celebrate the region’s diversity and advancements in breeding and agriculture.
Geography/History
Bismarck apples are native to Australia and were known as a popular cooking apple throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are several theories to the variety’s origins, but the most prominent theory connects the variety to farmer Freidrich Eberhardt Fricke in Carbrooke, Central Victoria, Australia. Mr. Fricke immigrated from the village of Cros Mahner in Hanover, Germany, to Australia. One day, he picked up a discarded apple core near Harrison’s Hill and planted it on his property. The planted seeds sprouted an apple tree with bi-colored, bright, acidic, and flavorful fruits. Two other theories mention that the variety may have been from the German settlement of Bismarck in Tasmania around 1870 or from Canterbury, New Zealand, but these have remained relatively obscure. Regardless of the apple’s initial origins, in the 1870s, the new seedling was given to nurseryman Benjamin Clarkson, and he planted the variety in Carisbrook, Australia. Mr. Clarkson presented the apple to the Seedling Fruit Committee of the Horticultural Society of Victoria in June of 1873, and the variety was named Bismarck as a new commercial cultivar. Bismarck apples were released to growers and the public in 1874, and over time, the variety became a favored cooking apple. It is unknown when Bismarck apples were introduced into England, but the cultivar was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s First Class Certificate in 1887, a prestigious label to highlight exceptional varieties. In the 1930s, Bismarck apples eventually faded from commercial production. Today, Bismarck apples are a rare heirloom cultivar that is not commercially grown. The variety is found in limited quantities in private and home orchards. The Bismarck apples featured in the photograph above were sourced through orchards in Brogdale Collections in Faversham, Kent.
