Description
Wickson is no more than a few bites, but it is favored for its sweet-tart flavor. It is a small, round, spicy apple, intensely sweet with a pronounced acid tang. Wickson is renowned as a cider, hard cider, and champagne cider apple, although it is a popular choice for fresh-eating and baking as well.
Often referred to as a large crabapple, one or two inches in diameter, Wickson has red striping over a buttery yellow peel; its flesh is juicy and fragile. Wicksons are easy to identify as they dangle from the tree branch in garlands. Harvest begins anywhere from late September to late October, and Wicksons have good storage life.
Discovered: 1944, California
Parentage: Cross of unnamed crab apples
Harvest: Late Season
History
Named for E.J. Wickson, a well-known California pomologist, Wickson Crab as it is sometimes called, is thought to be a cross of Newtown Pippin and Esopus Spitzenburg. It dates back to 1944.
