| Malus domestica 'Gala' |
|---|
 |
| Hybrid parentage |
| 'Kidd's Orange Red' × 'Golden Delicious' |
| Cultivar |
| 'Gala' |
| Origin |
 New Zealand, 1920s |
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Gala is a cultivar of apple with a mild and sweet flavour.
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Appearance and flavour
Gala apples are small and are usually red with a portion being greenish or yellow-green, vertically striped. Gala apples are fairly resistant to bruising and are sweet, grainy, with a mild flavour and a thinner skin than most apples. Quality indices include firmness, crispness, and sweetness.
History
Gala apples were developed in New Zealand in the 1920s by orchardist J.H. Kidd. They are a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Kidd's Orange Red. Many sports of Gala have been selected, mostly for increased red color, including the popular Royal Gala. The variety is also an increasingly popular option for UK top fruit farmers. It is a relatively new introduction to the UK, first planted in commercial volumes during the 1980s. The variety now represents about 20% of the total volume of the commercial production of eating apples grown in the UK, often replacing Cox's Orange Pippin.
Season
Gala apples are grown from May through September in the northern hemisphere, but, like most apples, are available almost all year through the use of cold storage and controlled atmosphere storage. Australian Gala are available from late January. California fruit is available until October. While the season usually lasts only 9 or 10 months, they are able to last all year round. However due to some apples continuing to be grown in some orchards, and the fact that they can be refrigerated for some months, leads to the availability of the Gala apple year round in some Australian markets. These usually taste different (slightly less sweet) from those in season.The UK season begins in late summer (August) with picking through to October. Storage makes the UK fruit available nearly year round as with fruit from other origins.
Royal Gala cultivar
Royal Gala is a cultivar resulting from a sport of the Gala apple in the 1970s. It is a pink-red dessert apple and is therefore usually eaten fresh. Royal Galas are usually harvested in early to late February.
Storage
The optimum temperature for storing apples is between -1° and 1°C (30 to 34°F), and the optimum relative humidity is 90 to 95%. Like many fruit, ethylene gas can speed ripening and spoilage and reduce firmness.[1]
External links
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