Delbard Estivale Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Delbard Estivale apples are a medium to large varietal and have a round to conical shape with broad, flat shoulders tapering to a narrow base. The apple’s stem is long, slender, dark brown-green, and woody, connecting to the fruit through a deep and narrow cavity. The stem cavity may also feature textured, grey-brown russet developed from natural causes during cultivation. Delbard Estivale apples are lightly ribbed and have smooth, taut, and thin but tough skin. The fruit’s delicate surface makes it easily bruised or damaged, and the skin has a faint sheen featuring tan lenticels. The variety ripens from green to yellow-green shades and is covered in large patches of blush and striping. The blush’s intensity varies depending on sun exposure during cultivation and typically has variegated hues of bright red, dark red, and orange. Underneath the surface, the cream-colored to ivory flesh is fine-grained, dense, and aqueous with a crunchy, chewy, and succulent consistency. The flesh also envelops a small central fibrous core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Delbard Estivale apples release an aromatic, honeyed scent when ripe. The fruits contain balanced sugar and acidity levels, creating a refreshing, sweet, tart, and perfumed flavor with fruity, spice-filled nuances reminiscent of pear, strawberries, aniseed, and fennel.
Seasons/Availability
Delbard Estivale apples are harvested in late August through mid-September.
Current Facts
Delbard Estivale apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a French variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The early-season apples were developed in the mid-20th century as an improved variety of Golden Delicious apples. Delbard Estivale apples grow on deciduous trees reaching 3 to 5 meters in height, and the cultivar is moderately vigorous, tolerant to scab, and sometimes bears fruit every other year. The apple’s name stems from French, as Delbard is the last name of the French nurseryman who bred the variety, while Estivale means “summer,” a descriptor of the fruit’s ripening time. Delbard Estivale apples are also known under several other names, including Delcorf, Delbarestivale, Delbare, Delba, Delcorf Estivale, Estivale, Monidel, Dalili, Ambassy, D’Estivale, and Delbardestivale®. Since their commercial release in the 1970s, Delbard Estivale apples have been cultivated on a small scale through specialty orchards throughout Europe, especially in France and England. The variety is known as a well-flavored fresh-eating or dessert cultivar and is valued for the flesh’s ability to remain firm after a period of storage, an unusual trait for early-season apples. Delbard Estivale apples are primarily consumed fresh, but the variety is also incorporated into an array of sweet and savory cooked culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Delbard Estivale apples have not been studied for their nutritional properties. Like other bi-colored apples, the fruits are a source of potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and vitamin C to boost the immune system. Apples also contain some calcium to build strong bones and teeth, phosphorus to repair tissues, magnesium to control nerve functions, vitamin A to maintain healthy organs, and other nutrients, including vitamin E, iron, copper, manganese, vitamin K, and zinc. The apple's pigmented skin contains anthocyanins, natural compounds with antioxidant-like properties that protect the cells against free radical damage.
Applications
Delbard Estivale apples have a balanced, sweet, and sharp taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is traditionally consumed out of hand and is valued for its refreshing, spice-filled flavor. Delbard Estivale apples are placed on cheese boards as a sweet accompaniment, sliced and served with dips and spreads, shredded into slaws, or tossed into salads. The apples are also chopped into fruit medleys, used as a fresh topping over parfaits, or layered into sandwiches. Try adding slices of the fruits to toast slathered in nut butter. The variety can also be blended into smoothies, shakes, and juices. While less common, Delbard Estivale apples can be incorporated into cooked preparations. In France, the apples are used in various cakes, tarts, and pies or simmered into jams, jellies, and other preserves. In addition to jams, Delbard Estivale apples are cooked into sauces for roasted meats and complement savory flavors. They can also be used in crumbles, cobblers, and fritters. Delbard Estivale apples pair well with other fruits such as grapes, melons, pineapples, and strawberries, spices including cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg, herbs such as parsley, basil, and mint, and nuts including pistachios, almonds, pine, and walnuts. Whole, unwashed Delbard Estivale apples will keep for 2 to 3 months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place such as the refrigerator’s crisper drawer or a cellar. It is recommended to consume the variety soon after picking for the best quality, texture, and flavor.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Delbard Estivale apples were named after Georges Delbard, a famous 20th-century French nurseryman passionate about fruit trees and flower cultivation. Delbard resided in Malicorne, Allier, a region in Central France, and opened his first garden store on the Quai de la Mégisserie in Paris in 1935. Quai de la Mégisserie is one of the most well-known shopping districts in Paris for plants, and in the early 20th century, Delbard developed a reputation for his store’s variety of plants. In 1942, Delbard decided to breed his own plants and established nurseries on his farm. He also published the book “Les Beaux Fruits de France” in 1947, earning him international notoriety among the horticultural community. This fame led other growers to share grafts and seeds with Delbard, expanding his farm to include thousands of fruit trees and an experimental orchard in 1958. Over time, the farm transformed into an estate, and at one point, had over 600 hectares of land dedicated to fruit trees and flower breeding and cultivation. Georges Delbard’s nursery was later renamed Delbard Pepinieres International and still operates today. The company is known as one of the first French nursery-based establishments to have created an apple breeding program focusing on disease resistance and has released several apple varieties, including Debard Estivale apples, Delbard Jubilee, and Tentation apples.
Geography/History
Delbard Estivale apples are native to France and were developed by nurseryman Georges Delbard in Malicorne, a commune in the Allier department in Central France. The variety was bred by Delbard from a cross between Golden Delicious and Stark Jonagrimes apples, and Delbard had the intention of creating a new variety that was an improved version of Golden Delicious. The cross was made, and the new cultivar was raised from seed in 1956 at Delbard Nursery, known in the modern day as Delbard Pepinieres International. The apple cultivar was evaluated and tested for several years before being released to commercial markets in 1974. After its release, the variety was named Delcorf and was later given several other names throughout its history. In 1973, Delcorf apples were sent to England and were added to the National Fruit Collection. In 1996, Barry Allen and Nick Ball helped facilitate the introduction of the variety through Tesco markets in England, and the variety was given the trade name Delbardestivale or Delbard Estivale in 1998. The variety was also given an Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1998. Today, Delbard Estivale apples are commercially produced on a small scale through growers in Europe and North America. When in season, the cultivar is sold directly through growers, farmer’s markets, or specialty distributors.
