The British apple market is distinctive as it has several varieties that are grown specifically for cooking. The Grenadier is the first cooking apple at the start of the English apple season in late summer. It ripens in early mid season and keeps fresh for about one week.
It is large, the shape is round / conical, quite irregular, ribbed and flat sided, with a narrow, quite shallow basin that is ribbed and puckered. Its colour is pale green, however, when it is ready to be picked, it is closer to yellowish green. The Grenadier Apple has a sharp flavor, and once cooked turns into a purée that can be used for jams and sauces. It is not recommended for pies since it doesn’t hold its shape.
Its origin is unknown. It is said to have been first recorded in Kent in 1862 and then a few years later exhibited by Charles Turner, a nurseryman in Slough (Buckinghamshire). It received a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1883. Although it was quite widely grown by the end of the century, it is no longer grown commercially. Nowadays, the Grenadier Apple can only be found in local markets and private gardens.
