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Worcester Apple Delivery or Pickup

The Instacart guide to Worcester apple products


About Worcester apples

The Worcester apple, also known as the Worcester Pearmain, has English roots tracing back to 1874. Developed first by Mr. Hale of Swanpool in Worcester, England, the Worcester apple was once the most popular apple tree in England. The Worcester apple tree's early Autumn harvests contributed to its fame, and it remains a favorite tree in many English gardens today. The true success of the Worcester apple rests in its widespread use in apple breeding.

Remarkably, the Worcester apple's parentage remains partially unknown, as experts believe the Devonshire Quarrenden apple and another unknown parent were crossed to create it. The Worcester apple skin has yellow-green skin with a red flush that appears mainly on the side facing the sun. While usually a round apple, the Worcester apple can present lopsided fruit. Inside, the white flesh can best be described as fresh, crisp, juicy, and sweet with distinctive strawberry notes.

The Worcester apple makes a refreshing snack plucked from the tree, but its sweetness lends well to baking and dessert dishes. The tree itself has a low vigor and only average resistance to disease. However, it produces attractive blossoms that gardeners adore. The Worcester apple tree bears a heavy crop and harvests early; two added benefits to this fine-tasting fruit. In 1993, the Royal Horticultural Society agreed, giving the Worcester apple its coveted Garden Merit Award.

Worcester apples have maintained their popularity from the beginning, and in mid-September, you'll find them readily available in grocery stores and farmer's markets. The strawberry flavor so many people prize the Worcester apple for largely depends upon the weather. The less rain, the more intense the strawberry taste becomes. The best fruit comes from those apples left longest on the tree.

The flavor of the Worcester apple has pleased many over time, so much so that it continues to be used in breeding at a much higher rate than apple cultivars considered better. Many attribute this to its early ripening and unique strawberry flavor, both desirable characteristics. The Worcester apple's intense red blush has its own appeal for those seeking to create a new variety. Some of the Worcester apple's offspring include the Discovery, Elton Beauty, Jester, Lord Lambourne, and Katy apples, all of which inherited the strawberry flavor and early ripening.

You can puree the Worcester apple and use it for dessert dishes, or you can slice it thin and top your favorite salad with it. Dipping the whole Worcester apple in caramel makes for a decadently sweet treat. Worcester apples have such sweet juice that you must dial back the sugar in any dessert recipe, and that same trait makes the apple a great one for pressing into apple juice or cider.

How to select Worcester apples

The apples are picked ripe off the tree. You should select apples with no blemishes or bruises as these can hasten the apple toward spoiling. When purchasing a bag of packaged apples, you need to carefully inspect them for disfiguration as the decay of one apple can affect the others in the bag.

How to store Worcester apples

You can keep Worcester apples at room temperature for about a week, and they last four to six weeks in your refrigerator.

You can save time shopping for Worcester apples by using the Instacart app! All you need to do is add the apples to your cart, and after checkout, an Instacart shopper will assemble your order. Your Worcester apples could be ready for in-store pick-up in as little as 2 hours!

Worcester Apple Near Me

Buy your favorite Worcester Apple online with Instacart. Order Worcester Apple from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.

FAQs about Worcester apples

Yes. Apples naturally emit ethylene, a gas that induces ripening. This process begins with the apple still on the tree yet continues after harvest. The apple's porous skin lets the ethylene escape naturally. Bruised or damaged apples will emit ethylene at a higher rate, affecting the apples around the damaged ones.

Yes, because apples naturally create a thin, wax-like coating with a milky-white color. The apple creates this coating to protect itself from disease and moisture loss while growing. A freshly picked apple will appear dull because of this, but a gentle wipe with a clean cloth will restore its natural luster. A secondary coat of wax often gets added by farmers after harvest. This secondary coat uses a synthetic compound usually made from natural plant material. This coat gets added to protect the apple during shipping and storage. A gentle scrub with cool water will remove this coating.

Yes. Apples are a good source of vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin C. Vitamin C has many health benefits, including boosting the immune system. Other minerals and vitamins found in the Worcester apple have been linked to good brain and bone health and help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.