Evelina® Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Evelina® apples are a medium to large varietal, averaging 6.9 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to conical shape with broad shoulders tapering to a narrow, flat base. The variety typically ranges from 160 to 170 grams in weight and features an elongated, slender, woody stem connected to the fruit in a cavity occasionally filled with russet. The fruit’s skin is semi-thin, smooth, and taut, giving the surface a chewy but mild nature. The skin also has a pale yellow base almost entirely covered in a red, dark red, to burgundy blush with dark red striping and mottling. This coloring is a distinct trait of the variety, and prominent lenticels are highlighted against the dark red background. Underneath the surface, the cream-colored to ivory flesh is firm, dense, aqueous, and fine-grained with a crisp, succulent consistency. The flesh also envelops a central fibrous core filled with tiny ovoid to oblong, black-brown seeds. Evelina® apples are edible raw when ripe and release a subtle floral, tropical, and woodsy scent. The apple’s flesh has balanced sugar and acidity, creating a sweet, lightly sour, and tangy taste with fruity, honeyed, and tropical nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Evelina® apples are grown in both hemispheres, allowing for year-round availability in some markets. When produced in Europe, the variety is harvested in the fall, with a peak season in September.
Current Facts
Evelina® apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a European variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The club apples were discovered growing as a natural mutation or sport of Pinova apples, a German variety commercially released in the mid to late 20th century. Evelina® apples later arose from Pinova apples in the early 21st century and are a mid-to-late-season variety favored for their bright red coloring, firm texture, and sweet and sour taste. Growers appreciate Evelina® apples for their productive nature, consistent yields, disease resistance, and extended storage capabilities. Evelina® apples have recently become one of the most successful club varieties in Europe and are expanding in sales worldwide from year-round production and extensive marketing campaigns. The variety is also known as RoHo 3615, its original name, and was rebranded Evelina® for commercial marketing purposes. Evelina® apples are primarily a fresh-eating cultivar sold as a seasonal delicacy for its memorable, sweet-tart tropical flavor. The apples can also be used in a wide array of raw and cooked, sweet and savory culinary recipes.
Nutritional Value
Evelina® apples are a source of vitamin E to protect the cells against free radical damage, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, and vitamin C to boost the immune system. The variety also provides calcium to build strong bones and teeth, antioxidants to reduce inflammation, iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, magnesium to control nerve functioning, and other nutrients, including vitamin K, zinc, boron, and copper.
Applications
Evelina® apples have a sweet and subtly sour taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is traditionally consumed out of hand and can be eaten with or without the skin, depending on preference. Evelina® apples can also be sliced and served with dips, cut and tossed into salads, layered into sandwiches, mixed into grain bowls, or chopped and served with feta cheese, mint, and salt. Try serving Evelina® apples as an edible garnish for overnight oats, parfaits, pancakes, and waffles. In addition to fresh preparations, Evelina® apples are multi-purpose and can be baked into cakes, muffins, bread, and other desserts. The fruits can also be hollowed, stuffed with spices and nuts, and baked whole as a decadent dessert known as bratapfel in Germany. Evelina® apples can be simmered into jams, jellies, compotes, and sauces or roasted and eaten as an accompaniment to meat main dishes. The apple variety can be utilized in any preparation calling for sweet apples and is often pressed into juices, blended into smoothies, or pureed and frozen into a natural sorbet. Evelina® apples pair well with celery, parsnips, potatoes, ginger, herbs such as fennel, thyme, and rosemary, cheeses including parmesan, cheddar, and brie, and nuts such as almonds, pine, and walnuts. Whole, unwashed Evelina® apples keep for 5 to 7 months in professional cold storage, but consuming the fruits within two months of purchase for the best quality and flavor is recommended. The apple’s flavor will develop a mellower taste with storage, but the flesh can sometimes soften when stored too long. Evelina® apples should be kept in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer or a cool place like a cellar.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Evelina® apples are held to strict coloring guidelines, and only fruits with a specific amount of red blush are allowed to be sold under the club brand name. The fruit’s red coloring is one of the distinguishing traits between Evelina® and Pinova apples, and it is said that most growers expect the fruits to have at least 60 to 70% of the skin covered in an unbroken blush. This coloring is developed by growing conditions, climate, weather, and other factors, and if the apples cannot reach this requirement, they are typically sold under Pinova and are not allowed to be marketed as Evelina®. Some growers harvest the fruits in multiple phases to allow fruits more access to sunlight to become redder. The name Evelina® also stems from the name Eve, meaning “life.” Evelina® apples are said to embody a lively, vibrant flavor and texture, and the coloring is bright, adding to the variety’s vivacious reputation.
Geography/History
Evelina® apples are native to Europe and were discovered in Germany as a natural mutation of the Pinova apple. Pinova apples are a cross between Golden Delicious and Clivia apples, a variety with Cox’s Orange Pippin and Oldenbrg in its parentage, and were developed in Germany in the mid-20th century. In 2000, fruit breeder Hans Hofman noticed a branch of a Pinova apple tree was producing distinct fruits in an orchard in the town of Langensedelbach, Germany. The new fruits were selected for further evaluation and propagation, and the variety was named RoHo 3615. Seedlings of the cultivar were planted in 2007 in Brandenburg, Germany, and over time, plantings expanded to other growing regions in Germany, including Saxony, Thuringia, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt. Since their discovery, Evelina® apples have become one of Europe's most well-known club apple varieties. The variety is only grown by select partners, and this exclusivity allows the apples to be heavily regulated to maintain a level of quality, appearance, and flavor. Today, Evelina® apples are commercially cultivated in Europe, specifically Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Serbia, Croatia, Belgium, France, Slovenia, and Slovakia. Outside of Europe, the variety is grown in Argentina and Chile for year-round production. The apples are sold domestically in their growing regions and are shipped worldwide to markets in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America.
