Frequin audievre

Frequin Audievre is a late-ripening, mild, French bittersweet that originated in Yvetot, Normandy or possibly not far from there in Brittany. It was introduced in 1860. A “Frequin” is a quarter-barrel cask or about fifteen gallons. “Audiervre” refers to the person who reputedly introduced the apple. “Frequin Audievre” would be like saying “Bunker’s barrel” suggesting this is what Bunk fills it with. (See Apples and the Art of Detection p. 244 for more on the word Frequin.)

The fruit is small (5 cm/2" ), round-conic, colored a flat, dull red with some darker areas and a few spots of yellow showing through. Russet entirely fills the medium-deep cavity but does not extend over the rim. It has a short stem and a medium deep, regular, abrupt basin. It has a low-acid, sweet flavor without much bitterness or astringency. (19 brix, 1078 SG)

We pick this apple late in October and press it in early-mid November. Although it suffered from severe fireblight in 2021, we really like the apple and now (2025) have several trees. We obtained our scionwood from the USDA Geneva collection (PI 161838). The Geneva apple appears to be identical to the Frequin Audievre described in Bore and Fleckinger (Pommiers a Cidre Varietes de France, pp. 358-60) which lists thirteen Frequins. Currently growing at Super Chilly Farm.