Sunday, September 18, 2011

Stark Jumbo

An Amish man with a nameless family farm was selling these at a farmers market. I was familiar with three of the four. the new one was the Stark Jumbo which turns out to be a real oddity. It can weigh over 2 lbs and be 160+ inches in diameter. It is a new variety that originates with Stark Bros Nurseries in Missouri. They have discontinued it already so if you want to grow them, you'll have to make cuttings form the few that already have. More here.


2 comments:

Michelle Koeppe said...

I thought you might be intrigued to know that I recently meet the daughter of the man who supposedly originated the Stark Jumbo. He hailed from the Columbia Gorge & took grafting stock from a variety of apple he grew that produced a huge 'mutant' during the mid-twentieth century. They are known in the area as Hanners. He was Mr. Hanner & sold the patent to this apple to Stark Bros. His daughter told me he sent one to President Kennedy.....

what's that thought? said...

I worked at an orchard in Loudon NH that has produced these apples since the 1980's (and presumably, earlier, but that's when I worked there). I order them every other year or so - in my opinion, the greatest and most underrated apple on the planet.