Worcester Pearmain is a classic English early-season apple, and remains popular as a garden variety. The apples are fairly small, and a pretty bright red where the sun catches them, whilst the blossom in spring is also a feature.
The flavour is good and sweet for an early variety, and in a good year you may notice the slight strawberry flavour for which this variety is renowned.
Like most early-season varieties, Worcester Pearmain does not keep. It is at its best when eaten straight from the tree, but you can store the apples in a fridge for up to a week. Although always considered as a dessert apple variety, Worcester Pearmain is a good variety for stewed apple.
Tasting Notes
The Worcester Pearmain Apple is an early season English apple, originating from Worcester in the 1870s. It has been a relatively popular apple from the start, and is still grown commercially on a small scale in England. The apples come into season a few weeks after Discovery apples, and it is relatively easy to find them for a short period in mid-September in supermarkets and farmers markets. A medium sweet juice with a hint of strawberry.
Sweetness Chart 3