Cripps Pink
Encyclopedia
Cripps Pink is a variety of apple, from which apples meeting quality standards can be sold under the trade mark name Pink Lady. The Cripps Pink variety was originally bred by John Cripps at the (then named) Western Australia Department of Agriculture by crossing the Australian apple Lady Williams with a Golden Delicious
in order to combine the best features of both apples. The apple is both sweet and crisp.
They are principally grown in Italy
and extensively in Australia
, but are also grown in New Zealand
, Chile
, Canada
, France
and in the US since the late 1990s.
The Pink Lady apple is becoming particularly popular in the United Kingdom
and had approximately 10% of the market share in 2005.
Pink Lady apples do not like the cold weather, be it in spring or as an early winter. This variety is the earliest to blossom (late March/early April), and one of the last to be harvested (end of October/early November). It is the significant change in temperature between night and day in the autumn that gives the apples their pink colour. However, they must also be well exposed. Therefore, the trees must be carefully pruned and their fruit production well managed.
Golden Delicious
The Golden Delicious is a cultivar of apple with a yellow color. It is not closely related to the Red Delicious apple.- Appearance and flavor :...
in order to combine the best features of both apples. The apple is both sweet and crisp.
Registered trade mark
The Cripps Pink variety is owned and licensed by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA), which has Plant Breeders' Rights in multiple countries. The peak industry body for Australian apple and pear growers — Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) — “owns” and manages globally the “intellectual property” in the trade mark Pink Lady, which is registered in more than 70 countries.Growth and development
The apple shape is ellipsoid, it has a distinctive pink hue mixed with a green "background," and taste is tart. The Cripps Pink variety requires a long, 200 day growth period and a hot climate, making them ungrowable in more temperate latitudes.They are principally grown in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and extensively in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but are also grown in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and in the US since the late 1990s.
The Pink Lady apple is becoming particularly popular in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and had approximately 10% of the market share in 2005.
Cultivation
Selected by 2800 producers, Pink Lady apples must meet strict specifications in terms of sugar content, firmness, colour and environmentally friendly production methods. Independent and rigorous inspections are regularly performed to ensure both the quality and traceability of the apple from the orchard to the shop.Pink Lady apples do not like the cold weather, be it in spring or as an early winter. This variety is the earliest to blossom (late March/early April), and one of the last to be harvested (end of October/early November). It is the significant change in temperature between night and day in the autumn that gives the apples their pink colour. However, they must also be well exposed. Therefore, the trees must be carefully pruned and their fruit production well managed.