Long Reinette

Long Reinette is an old apple variety local to ‘The Lee’ in Buckinghamshire and rescued from extinction by Bernwode Fruit Trees, a nursery which specializes in old varieties. The following is an account of the history of this variety taken from their catalogue:

"In 2001, Mr and Mrs Senior brought some scion wood and new trees were grafted. Their very old horizontal tree had been identified by Percy Langston, 90 years old that year as a Long Runnit. A local man, he had wide experience of the fruit traditionally grown at The Lee and remembered the Long Runnit apple which was stored in barns, in straw and brought out for the Christmas table. In his youth it was widely grown around the Lee, but the old tree owned by the Seniors appears to be the last one. A customer recently shared her childhood memory that Long Reinettes were not allowed before Christmas and were then put in the Christmas stocking! There are no records of a Long Runnit in historical literature, but Long reinettes were exhibited from Lee Manor, along with the Bazeley, at the National Apple Congress in 1883. This is the only record of the Long Reinette."

Long Reinette is a dessert apple and as its name suggests, the shape is very elongated, though can be shorter in some years. The skin is green with red streaks which are predominant in some years and almost absent in others. The tree is not self-fertile and needs pollinators from Group 4. The apple is firm and fairly juicy with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. The fruit tends to become softer in late autumn but if stored well, will keep until Christmas.