The ‘Baya Marisa’ apple is an extraordinary variety with bright red pulp that is also compatible with many allergy sufferers. We will introduce you to the apple variety with all its peculiarities.
An apple with red flesh? It actually exists: The fruit of the ‘Baya Marisa’ apple variety (Malus ‘Baya Marisa’), also known by the synonym ‘Bay 3484’, impresses not only with its pretty dark red skin, but above all with its equally distinctly red colored flesh. But ‘Baya Marisa’ not only has a lot to offer visually, the flavor is also considered to be particularly aromatic. In addition, the red apple is well tolerated by many apple allergy sufferers. In our article we will tell you what is behind the red-fleshed apple variety and whether you have to pay attention to anything when growing the Baya Marisa apple tree.
"Contents"
- Baya Marisa: Wanted poster
- Origin and history of the red-fleshed apple
- Taste and properties of the ‘Baya Marisa’ apple variety
- Baya Marisa apple: special features in cultivation and care
- Harvest time and use of the red-fleshed apple
Baya Marisa: Wanted poster
| Synonyms | ‘Bay 3484’ |
| fruit | medium-sized; dark red color |
| taste | crisp, aromatic, sour |
| Yield | high and regular |
| Harvest time | from the end of September |
| Ripe for enjoyment | from the end of September |
| Shelf life | middle; storable until the beginning of December |
| growth | medium to strong |
| climate | not very demanding; only conditionally suitable for locations at risk of late frost |
| Diseases and pests | low susceptibility to apple scab and powdery mildew |
Origin and history of the red-fleshed apple
One might think that apples with red colored flesh are a product of the modern age. In fact, the Niedzwetzki apple, which belongs to the wild apples (Malus niedzwetzkyana) apples with dark red flesh for several centuries. And some old cultivated apple varieties such as ‘Red Moon’ are also adorned with this property. One reason why there are still hardly any apples with red flesh is their taste: almost all of them Red-fleshed varieties have an extremely high acid content, so they are not suitable for direct consumption are. The Bavarian Fruit Center has set itself the task of growing an apple that, in addition to its attractive red color, can also impress with its taste. The child of these efforts was ‘Baya Marisa’, which was registered for plant variety protection in 2009 as the first red-fleshed table apple. The variety was created by crossing the red-fleshed variety ‘Weirouge’ with an unknown table apple variety that has not yet been registered for the market. Today the ‘Baya Marisa’ is a popular apple variety for hobby gardeners, which impresses both with its taste and appearance.
Taste and properties of the ‘Baya Marisa’ apple variety
The ripe fruits of the ‘Baya Marisa’ are an impressive sight from afar: The medium-sized fruits have an average weight of 190 g and are rounded in shape. In the course of ripening, the yellow basic color of the apple is increasingly overshadowed by the dark red covering color, so that when fully ripe, its fruits are presented in a wonderful dark red. The real sensation of ‘Baya Marisa’ is of course the distinctly red colored pulp of the apple. This can convince not only with its color, but also in taste: The medium-sized, firm and crunchy flesh is considered to be particularly aromatic and scores with a medium-high acid content (8 g / l), which gives the ‘Baya Marisa’ a pleasantly sour taste. This clearly sets the variety apart from other red meat apple varieties, which often taste extremely sour.
By the way: The color of the red-fleshed apple varieties is by no means unhealthy. In fact, the red color of ‘Baya Marisa’ is caused by so-called anthocyanins, which are only found in the skin of other apple varieties. These dyes act as radical scavengers in our body and thus protect our cells. At the same time, the anthocyanins also protect the pulp of the apple from oxidation, so that it hardly begins to brown even after prolonged contact with the air. The increased formation of anthocyanins makes the ‘Baya Marisa’ not only more beautiful, but also healthier.
Baya Marisa apple: special features in cultivation and care
Many gardeners are deterred from growing special apple varieties because they expect a lot of care during cultivation. In fact, when planting a Baya Marisa apple tree, you don't have to worry: the variety proves to be quite straightforward to grow. The ‘Baya Marisa’ shows medium to strong growth, usually achieved, at an early stage, depending on the base but only a height of about 2 to 2.5 meters and has a central branch with flat side branches on. Due to its cultivation as a small-crowned fruit tree, the ‘Baya Marisa’ is often raised as a trellis or spindle bush. This makes this variety interesting not only for large landowners, but also for those who manage smaller gardens. The Baya Marisa apple tree prefers a sunny location with loose, well-drained soil for its growth.
The tree's first blossoms open as early as April, which is why it is only suitable to a limited extent in regions with a high risk of late frost.
The flowers of the ‘Baya Marisa’ are in no way inferior to its fruits and impress with their bright pink to red hue. Although the ‘Baya Marisa’ is considered self-pollinating, it is worth growing another apple tree as a pollinator nearby in order to increase the yield. Suitable varieties are, for example, ‘Pilot’, but also ‘Piros’ and ‘Rubinetta’ - in return, Baya Marisa ’, with its flowers, is also a good pollinator for numerous apple varieties. As early as the second year of standing, the ‘Baya Marisa’ delivers regular and high yields, so it is best to have a Thinning of the fruit hanging should be done in order to allow sufficient development of the remaining fruits guarantee. This means that at the latest in the hazelnut-sized stage, so many fruits should be removed from the tree that at the end only about one or two apples remain per fruit cluster. Overall, the ‘Baya Marisa’ proves to be an extremely healthy apple tree, which is not completely scab-resistant, but is only slightly susceptible to apple scab and less susceptible to powdery mildew.
Harvest time and use of the red-fleshed apple
From the end of September, the Baya Marisa apple will finally be ready to be picked and will also be ready for consumption at the same time. When choosing the right picking time, however, a sure instinct is required, especially in cold autumns: If you pick the ‘Baya Marisa’ variety too early, it is often not fully ripe and tastes great angry. However, if temperatures drop below 2 ° C, damage from the cold can occur. Due to its slightly sour taste, the Baya Marisa apple is wonderfully suitable for direct consumption and as a table apple. Even allergy sufferers can look forward to the aromatic taste of the apple: Thanks to its high phenol content, it is also well tolerated by many allergy sufferers.
Its red pulp comes into its own when baking and cooking: the red color too is retained during processing, the ‘Baya Marisa’ is particularly suitable for decorative cakes or Pastries. But also the production of juice or jelly with a decorative red color are hobbyhorses of ‘Baya Marisa’. However, if you can't process the apple directly, you don't have to worry. Will the Apple stored properly, it can be kept until the beginning of December without any problems. Here, too, it is important not to go below the two-degree limit, because unlike other apples, the ‘Baya Marisa’ would suffer cold damage as a result.
Have we aroused your interest in red-fleshed apple varieties? We present another variety with colored pulp in our article on the apple variety ‘Red Moon' before.
