Discovered by D.B. Perrine in Illinois, this is a bud mutation of Yellow Transparent. The fruit matures slightly earlier than Yellow Transparent and it is significantly larger. The tree is a tetraploid and should not be counted on to pollenize other varieties. Its habit is slightly smaller and less spreading than Yellow Transparent. Otherwise we expect our remarks on Yellow Transparent to hold true for this tree:

Coming from Russia, this tree is extremely cold hardy; we have rated it to zone 3, but some reckon that it is hardy to zone 2! It is vigorous, upright-spreading, precocious, and productive. Thinning will be needed to maintain annual bearing. Yellow Transparent is susceptible to fireblight but resistant to scab.

This is the very first apple to ripen in our U-pick orchard, and every year a handful of loyal followers come specifically for the Yellow Transparents. Many of these customers are Russians who remember similar apples from their childhood. The apple is smallish, with a thin, tender, waxy, pale yellow skin. The white flesh is meltingly tender with a fresh, citric flavor. Old timers like to eat them sliced with a sprinkle of sugar. Yellow Transparent does not store well and it browns quickly after cutting. You have two choices: eat it quick or make a delicious, smooth sauce.

Yellow Transparent was among the first apples to come to America from Russia. It was imported along with a number of other varieties, including Duchess of Oldenburg and Alexander, by the USDA in 1870. The goal was to find apples that would do well in the colder northern states, and Yellow Transparent was one of the most successful of these transplants. My father, Dr. Jim Cummins, had a special connection with his own Yellow Transparents, which he has chronicled for us in a touching story that spans the generations of my family.