They have pale yellow skin covered with dark red blushes and stripes and small grey dots.
Inside, they have tender, firm, juicy, yellowish-white flesh sometimes stained red under the skin. It is aromatic, with a spicy taste.
The fruit on the tree needs thinning to get the size of the apples up.
Cooking Tips
Good for fresh-eating and cider.
Storage Hints
Stores well, often until April.
History Notes
Yates Apples were developed by a Matthew Yates of Fayette County, Georgia, United States around 1844.
The apple was popular in the American south, where it ripens in October.
Sources
“At Fayetteville in Fayette County, A. O. Blalock, who is the United States Internal Revenue Collector for the Atlanta District, has a ten-acre orchard set out about 1898 in Yates apples, a variety originated in that county.” — Geldert, Louis N., Ed. Facts About Georgia. Atlanta, Georgia: Georgia Chamber of Commerce / Foote & Davies Company. 1916. Page 11.
“We have a number of apple trees, the best being the All Summer, York Imperial, Terry, Shockley and Yates. These are especially fine for keeping during the winter.” — Ibid, page 150.
“My father had a long yearning for Yates apples and believed them superior to anything grown in the South. His great grandfather and the developer of the Yates apple, Matthew Yates, were once neighbors and fast friends. — Phillips, Joe. Sweet! Column in CatWalkChatt. 26 August 2013. Retrieved October 2013 from http://www.catwalkchatt.com/view/full_story/23452943/article-Column-by-Joe-Phillips–Sweet-
“Yates originated about 1844 with Matthew Yates of Fayette Country, Georgia, and was often called Red Warrior in the South.” — Calhoun, Creighton Lee. Old Southern Apples, Revised and Expanded: A Comprehensive History and Description of Varieties for Collectors, Growers, and Fruit Enthusiasts. Blacksburg, Virginia: The McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company. 1995, reprinted 2010. Page 167.
“In the early 1800’s Matthew Yates found some apple trees near a creek bank in Fayette County and started to cultivate them. He took cuttings and eventually had an orchard. At one time hundreds of acres of Yates apples covered parts of Fayette County… Matthew Yates was a cousin of my grandfather’s and was connected to many of the families in the Bethany community and Fayette County.” — “Bushbob”. Geocaching description. Retrieved October 2013 from http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1KHCD_yates-apple-cache?guid=751016f9-ec6b-4b81-be32-76c32fc20f8f