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Luton Orchards proposed five other names based on where the apple was from, its appearance and its parent varieties. Clarendon Blush won by over 300 votes. Deppe said the name "really echoes where the apple was found and what it looks like".
The other contenders were the Clarendon Wonder, High Town Beauty, Luton Wonder and the Clarendon Seedling. Deppe described the taste of the Clarendon Blush as excellent for making purée. She said its flavour changes considerably as it ripens, "from sharp to lovely, before becoming slightly wine-like when overripe".
The apple, discovered on a tree believed to be between 70 and 90 years old, was tested by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridge last year and compared with thousands of other UK and European varieties. Testing showed the probable parent varieties were two 19th-century apples: Newton Wonder and James Grieve. "Newton Wonder grew from a tree found in the thatched roof of a pub in King Newton, Derbyshire, in about 1870, while James Grieve is a Scottish apple dating from 1893," Deppe said.
The current owner of the tree, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were "glad to be part of this wonderful discovery", but who planted the tree, and why, remains a local mystery . Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.
Source: BBC
