December 17: Kerr

Dolgo x Haralson
Manitoba, 1952
aka Morden 352, Rosy Bloom

Kerr has a lot going for it: it’s extremely cold hardy, it keeps in cold storage for months, it is scab (fungus) and fireblight (bacteria) resistant, it makes a tasty cider, and it is a delicious apple!

From my perspective, W.L. Kerr up there in Canada made a smart cross: Dolgo is an old Russian crabapple with a flavor like a tropical SweeTart; and, of course, you know Haralson, one of the U of M’s most notorious releases.

It’s not the first apple I would reach for out of the fridge if I wanted a snack, but if I was looking for an apple to give me a jolt — sure!

Like its parent, Dolgo, Kerr will also make a lovely looking and tasting jelly.

I also made spiced, pickled crabapples with Kerr this year. Fantastic!

Growing Notes

Kerr has a long blooming period, which makes it an excellent pollinator. Many commercial growers plant crabapples to serve as pollinators but might as well plant this one — you can at least use its fruit and it’s much nicer to pick this size apple than a Kerr. Hardy to Zone 3. Fireblight and scab resistant. Early to bear fruit. I understand that it benefits from thinning, which is something I’ve never done with it so I’d be interested to see how large each apple would get if thinned.