I’ve had this post in drafts since the beginning of summer, as one thing or another kept my attention from working on it. That’s often how I feel about harvesting this particular apple tree as well, because it ripens in the first weeks of September, just when it gets harder to find any time in the garden due to work. It doesn’t deserve to be put off, yet it happens year after year.

Malus domestica ‘Red Cinnamon’ (omena ‘Punakaneli’) is an mid-season apple which is great for fresh eating and baking. It can also be stored for a month or so in the cellar. It arrived from Russia in the late 19th century and is now the most popular apple variety grown in Finland.

Our specific Punakaneli tree was planted at the same time as the other older trees, in the 1950s. We’ve found it to be slower-growing than White Transparent, but also generally healthier. In fact, this tree was hit by lightning decades ago and has carried on growing perfectly well since. It also doesn’t seem to be as prone to worms as the earlier ripening apples.

Despite having “red” in its name, this apple usually only has a blush of red over yellowish green when we pick it. It’s very crisp and juicy, with the advertised hint of cinnamon. It is sweeter than our other apple, but often doesn’t bear as much fruit. They get used in much the same way as our other apples, and I often steam juice them together with sour crabapples that are available around the same time. The resulting juice has a much fuller flavor than juice made from earlier apples.

Final count:

• Malus domestica ‘Red Cinnamon’ – 1 elderly tree