The oldest apple breeding program in the U.S. has released the newest in apple varieties. Cordera, Pink Luster and Firecracker have been developed at Cornell University’s Geneva, New York facility. 

University breeder Susan Brown is proud of the Cordera apple for not only its flavour and texture but its resistance to the fungal disease of apple scab.  The name Cordera is Spanish for lamb, named after Brown’s predecessor, Robert Lamb. 

The Pink Luster apple features the best attributes of Honeycrisp and Gala with its bright pink-red skin, crisp texture and juiciness. This variety is ready to pick in mid-September, well timed for on-farm sales and U-pick operations.

Firecracker is unusual in that it’s one of the few varieties that suits out-of-the-hand eating as well as baking and hard cider production. With a partial russet skin, this variety boasts a combination of acidity and sweetness. 

Source:  Cornell Chronicle, September 2, 2020