Lamb Abbey Pearmain

Lamb Abbey Pearmain is a rare but high-quality dessert apple that has its roots in

both England and North America. It’s a transatlantic transplant, but in this case

the direction of travel was from the U.S. to the Old Country, since it was grown

from a pip (seed) from the popular American apple known as Newtown Pippin (or

Albemarle Pippin, if you’re from the South). The seedling apple tree was first

grown around 1804 in Lamb Abbey, Dartford, Kent by Mrs. Mary Anne Malcolm.

The best dessert apples tend to have a good balance of sugar and acid

leading to what we often call a “high flavor.” Lamb Abbey has enough acidity to

qualify, and in addition it’s attractive, aromatic, and has a lovely flavor of tropical

fruit drops candy. (The pineapple notes doubtless come straight from the Newtown

Pippin, which is defined by its brisk and refreshing “pineyness”.)

Ripening in September, Lamb Abbey in my opinion is one of the very best

early autumn dessert apples for connoisseurs. It deserves to be better known and

more widely grown, especially in small specialty and home orchards.