The Red Delicious Apple variety was discovered in the 1870âs as a chance seedling growing on Jesse Hiattâs farm in Peru, Iowa. Thinking of it as a nuisance, Jesse tried to chop down the seedling several times, but the tree would repeatedly grow back. By the time it had grown back for the third time Jesse had decided to allow it to grow and produce apples.
In 1893, Jesse took his apple, which he called the âHawkeye,â to a fruit show in Missouri. Following the show, Stark Brothers Nursery purchased the rights to market the apple and began to propagate this apple under the name âStark Delicious.â
In 1914 the âDeliciousâ became the Red Delicious so that it wouldnât be confused with another apple tree, the âGolden Deliciousâ that was also marketed by Stark Nurseries.
With its dark and crimson color, sweet and mild flavor, and its strong shelf appeal, the Red Delicious is genuinely the quintessential as well as one of the most famous American red apples.
Red Delicious apples are best eaten fresh or used in fresh preparations because their flesh does not hold up well when cooked; also because of their deep crimson-colored skin, the Red Delicious apple is also higher in antioxidants than many other apple varieties.