Original source: http://members.gardenweb.com/members/exch/hristo


Last updated: 1 February 2014

I'm in to the edible plants since quite some years now and for all these years managed to collect a few thousand varieties, but mostly of herbaceous species. Only recently I began paying much more attention to the fruits and that is the reason for the limited number of varieties and data I can offer now.

Here are some of the varieties I have and find most interesting/worth growing (Will send scion wood):

Apples:

- Petrovka from Mirovtzi (On the bellow image- the pale yellow apples on the left) - The name 'Petrovka' is generic name given to all the apple varieties which ripen around St. Peter's Day (June 29) - that is about 2 months after bloom. There are many local varieties of Petrovka which are not described in our pomologies (It says: "Not well researched group of varieties."). This particular variety I found in Mirovtzi village, hence the name. It is one of my favourite apples because of it's distinctive aroma and flavor. The taste is moderately sweet with little to no sourness. Overall taste is excellent, even great if we consider how early it is. Does not store well, but the picking period continues 25-30 days, during that time there are apples at different stages of ripeness.

- No name from Mirovtzi (The apples on the right) - Some call it Kisela Petrovka (Sour Petrovka) just to distinguish it, but it's 1-2 weeks latter than the pale yellow one, so I do not find 'Petrovka' an appropriate name for this variety. It's sweet-sharp tasting (12-14 Brix), very refreshing not as aromatic, overall - simple, but very good taste.

- Kamchiyska Sinapka (The apples in the centre of the image) - Not completely sure about the name, but pretty sure it is this variety. Local variety. Alternate bearer. The texture and flavour is typical for the sinap type apples, the taste is not something out of this world - medium sweet, little to no aroma, light (sinap) flavour, low acid, but I really like it. Ripens late October here. Excellent keeper.

I have access to many other varieties, but do not know any names and I'm afraid significant part of them could be well known foreign varieties. The coming years will try to identify them, or at least the ones I like most.

Pears: - same story - quite a few varieties (some really good, others not so), but mostly no names, no data.

- Klementinka - I'm pretty sure it's Klementinka. The variety is known not only locally. Just google Klementinka pear. For an early variety the taste is excellent. And is very pretty too.

- Unknown #1 - It was in our property when we bought it 40 years ago. Ripens late July - early August. Regular heavy cropper. Taste is very good - sweet with slight pear aroma. They are at their prime for very short time. I like them best when start to yellow and are still crisp, for only 2-3 days they become soft. Do not know why, but maggots adore it. Probably 90% of the fruits got a maggot or two. The good thing is that the damaged fruits taste as good as the non damaged ones.

- Unknown #2 - Rippens mid August. Taste is good to very good.

- Unknown #3 - Interesting variety. Rippens mid August. Quite large. Taste is good to very good.

- Unknown #4 - Rippens mid September. Taste is very good to excellent.

- Unknown #5 - Rippens late September. Probably a cross between cultivated and wild variety. It's interesting, but the quality is low to average.

Plums (Prunus domestica):

- Kiustendilska - the most popular variety in Bulgaria in the past. It's very old and of uncertain origin. Smaller (~17 gr.) than Stanley, but of better taste - Excellent for drying, compotes ect. processing (and eating too). http://www.agroplant57.com/images/PLU10.jpg

- Karadjeika - Again, very old variety of uncertain origin. Smaller than Kiustendilska (~10 gr.), juicier and sweeter and still flavourful. In a good year it reaches 33 Brix measured with a refractometer. Small, but very tasty.

- Unknown #1 - I need to identify it, but for sure is not modern variety. Medium sized, yellow-pinkish colour. Very good taste.

- Unknown #2 - This one is not mine, it grows in an old (now abandoned) experimental orchard. Big, round, relatively small pit, blue/red. OK to good taste.

- Unknown #3 - This one is not mine, it grows in an abandoned property. Medium sized. Very good flavor, but lacks sweetnes.

- Unknown #4 - This one is not mine, it grows in an abandoned property. Medium sized, yellow. Average taste.

- Zelena Renkloda - that is our Green Gage type variety, I do not have Green Gage, so I do not know if they are same.

And many others, but do not know if some of them are not same as some of mine.

Apricots (Prunus armeniaca):

I have 5 varieties, but frankly I think 2 of them are much better than the rest. I'm pretty sure they are local commercial varieties, but do not know their names. Their pits are sweet. Here is one of them - it's  aromatic, sweet and flavourful. Overall taste is excellent to great.

Have access and to other trees, but I'm not sure if they are different varieties. Most probably they are, but can't be sure.

Quinces (Cydonia oblonga) (Quince is one of my favourite fruits):

- Small (for a quince), apple shape and size. Good taste, most aromatic. No name local variety. Overall good to very good quality.

- 'Velika' - medium-large sized. When completely ripe it's of very good to excellent quality, before then is too dry and astringent. Has better resistance to brown rot and stores better than the next one. Grown from seed by my grandmother Velika, hence the name.

- Supposed Portugal - Big (often over 1/2 kg. (1 lb.)) Lighter yellow colour, earlier and juicier than the previous and OK even when not completely ripe. When tree ripen it's the better one, but is susceptible to brown rot and also the birds often damage the fruits when still not completely ripe.

- Hemus - A commercial Bulgarian variety. The tree produced for the first time this year, just one fruit so I can coment much. The image is from a pomology book.

- Triumph - A commercial Bulgarian variety. The tree has not produced yet, so bear in mind there is a small chance for a mistakes. Average weight 420 grammes. The image is from a pomology book.

I have access and to other quince trees, but I'm not yet sure if they are different varieties.

Grapes - many (vinifera) varieties. Know some of the names.

Medlars (Mespilus germanica) - large and small/medium fruited (guess which one taste better)

Figs(Ficus carica) - 2-4 varieties which probably originate in Asia long time ago (of course no/lost names). My area is not the best for figs because every few years the temps can fall bellow -18C/-0.4F. These varieties seem to be hardy to between -12C/10.4F and -15C/5F. I do not collect scions in advance so you have to ask for them, preferably before mid December (before we can get too low temps)

Cherry Plums (Prunus cerasifera) - No name local varieties (you can see some of them on the first image)

Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) - among the (if not THE) largest fruited varieties in the world (You can see some old - bad quality images here: Cornus mas #2 http://seedswap.freehostia.com/cornus_mas_fruit_images.html#2-3)

Currants:

- Saharnaya (Сахарная) (~Sugary) - Russian variety of red currant (the left one of course). Early. Very good flavor on the sweet side. (took the image very late when both varieties were past their prime look)

- Yadrenaya (Ядреная) - I lost the name, but I think it was the Yadrenaya variety. Russian variety of black currant (the right one of course). Good to very good flavor, sweet-sour.

Mulberries (Morus alba):

The first 3 are very sweet and tasty. The black one is sweet-sour, but equally tasty.

Scions available out of not yet producing trees. That means there is a chance some may not be genuine (after all mistakes due happen). Limited availability:

Apples:
- Anis Polosatyi (Анис полосатый) (~Anise Striped) - Russian variety
- Bellefleur-Kitaika (Бельфлер–китайка) - Russian variety
- Canadian Strawberry
- Cellini
- Darcy's Spice
- Dumelow's Seedling
- Freyberg
- Gravenstein
- Jumbo
- Jupiter
- Korichnoe Polosatoe (Коричное полосатое) (~Cinnamon Striped) - Russian variety
- Lucombe's Pine
- Margaret
- Mother
- Orleans Reinette
- Royal red Limbertwig
- Sweet Sixteen
- Yellow Ingestrie

Apricots:
- Ananasnyi/Erevani/Shalah (Ананасный/Еревани/Шалах) - Got it from Ukraine as Ananasnyi (~Pineapple-like), but this name could be local name for the old Armenian variety Shalah a.k.a. Erevani. Either way should be of excellent taste.
- Vostorg (Восторг) (Delight) - Russian variety
- Poleskii Urojainyi (Полесский урожайный) - Russian variety

Plum:
- Tzarskaya (Царская) (~King's) - A Russian hybrid variety (Prunus salicina (Asian Plum) X Prunus cerassifera (Cherry Plum)). Yellow fruit, supposed excellent taste with an apricot like flavor. Images