Coeur de Reine Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Coeur de Reine apples are small to medium in size, averaging 6.5 to 7 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to conical shape with flat, sloping shoulders, a broad middle, and a narrow, tapered base. The fruit’s stem is slender, woody, and fibrous, connecting to the apple in a small cavity. The skin is semi-thick, chewy, smooth, and taut, with a matte, slightly waxy feel. The surface also ripens to golden yellow hues, covered in large patches of red-orange blush overlaid with maroon to crimson striping and mottling. Tiny green to pale lenticels are seen scattered across the fruit’s skin. Underneath the surface, the ivory to cream-colored flesh is slow to brown and is coarse-grained, light, and aqueous with a crisp, soft consistency. The flesh also envelops a central fibrous cavity filled with tiny dark brown-black seeds. Coeur de Reine apples are edible raw once ripe and release a faintly sweet, nutty aroma. The variety is known for its balanced sugar and acidity levels, creating a sweet and subtly tangy taste with fruity and floral nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Coeur de Reine apples are available in the fall through early spring.
Current Facts
Coeur de Reine apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a modern French variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The mid-season fruits are bi-colored, rustic apples favored for their crisp texture and sweet-tart taste. Coeur de Reine translates from French to mean “Queen’s Heart” apples, and the variety is said to embody classic French heirloom apples loved for their flavor and texture. Coeur de Reine apples are hand-harvested and grown in eco-responsible orchards through select Blue Whale producers. The variety is exclusively developed and sold in France under the Coeur de Reine brand name and was officially released to public markets in the early 21st century. Since their debut, Coeur de Reine apples have become commercially popular throughout France and are a modern cultivar with the feel of classic French varieties. Coeur de Reine apples are positioned as an everyday, multi-purpose variety utilized raw or cooked and complement flavors in sweet or savory culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Coeur de Reine apples have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Like other bi-colored modern apples, the variety may be a source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, and calcium to protect bones and teeth. Apples also provide some vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, iron to produce the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, copper to develop connective tissues, and other nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, boron, zinc, and vitamin K. The apple's pigmented skin contains anthocyanins, natural compounds with antioxidant-like properties that protect the cells against free radical damage.
Applications
Coeur de Reine apples have a sweet, subtly tangy taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety’s crisp, juicy flesh is savored when eaten out of hand, and the apples can be sliced and served on cheese boards as a sweet addition. Coeur de Reine apples can also be chopped into fruit medleys, served on toast or crostini as an appetizer, or tossed into salads for added crunch. Try slicing Coeur de Reine apples and serving as a topping over parfaits, grain bowls, or oatmeal. Coeur de Reine apples also hold their shape when cooked and are popularly roasted and served as a side dish to savory meats. The fruit can be simmered into compotes, jams, jellies, and sauces, minced and stuffed as a ravioli filling, or chopped and stirred into stuffing mixes. In addition to savory preparations, Coeur de Reine apples are baked into pies, cakes, galettes, muffins, and crisps. They are also baked whole in the oven, thinly sliced, and decoratively arranged on top of tarts or used as flavoring in macaroons. While less common, the apples can be sauteed in spices and browned butter and served as a decadent topping over ice cream. Coeur de Reine apples pair well with meats such as pork, beef, poultry, and turkey, herbs including rosemary, thyme, and parsley, nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pecans, and spices including cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whole, unwashed Coeur de Reine apples will keep for several weeks when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place such as a cellar or the refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Coeur de Reine apples are notably grown by producers who implement chosen practices to reduce the impact on the environment. The variety is often promoted as an easy-to-grow cultivar planted in eco-responsible orchards focusing on sustainability. Blue Whale producers mechanically weed around the base of the apple trees to help keep the soil healthy, strategically water the trees only when necessary to prevent water waste and install beehives in the orchards for natural pollination. Methods such as building hedges around the orchards also help increase the biodiversity of living organisms, while nets covering the trees keep out unwelcomed visitors. The codling moth, also known as the apple worm, is one of the most challenging pests plaguing apple trees in modern cultivation, and Blue Whale producers introduce chickadee nesting boxes into their orchards as a natural predator to limit moth populations. These eco-centric cultivation practices contribute to Coeur de Reine’s branding and positioning as an eco-conscious commercial apple, and the variety has become established as a favorite French cultivar.
Geography/History
Coeur de Reine apples are native to France and were developed in the early 21st century. The variety is a branded commercial name for the cultivar known as Daliclass, an apple created from a cross between Pilot and Elstar apples. Daliclass apples were developed by horticulturalists who were a part of Davodeau Ligonnière, a French nursery. Later on, this nursery merged with Valois to establish Dalival, a nursery specializing in creating pip and stone fruit varieties. Daliclass apples were released in 2010 and were licensed to select growers in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. In 2021, Coeur de Reine apples were selected from Daliclass and were rebranded, officially released as an exclusive apple of France at Fruit Attraction, an annual event focused on the marketing, sales, and distribution of produce. Today, Coeur de Reine apples are marketed by Blue Whale, a French brand of over 300 growers who partner to produce and market high-quality fruits. Coeur de Reine is only cultivated in three areas of France, mainly in the Loire Valley, Garonne Valley, and Alpes de Haute Provence. Around sixty producers currently grow Coeur de Reine apples in France, and the branded cultivar is being heavily promoted to the public through digital ads and television campaigns. When in season, Coeur de Reine apples are sold through select retailers in France. They are also sold under the Daliclass name in markets in Germany and the United Kingdom. Coeur de Reine apples are marketed in retail locations individually, in bags, or in trays.
