Kentish Fillbasket

Why you should be excited

Kentish Fillbasket is an old English apple notable for both its size (hence the name) and its high quality as a cooking apple.

The story of Kentish Fillbasket

Those who admire really, really big apples may be drawn to a variety with ‘fillbasket’ in its name. And this is a good thing, as Kentish Fillbasket is more than just large; it’s also an excellent cooking apple.

Here in North America, most folks think of apples as multi-purpose, but in the U.K., apples used pretty much exclusively in cooking have gained some prominence.

Best known of the English cookers is Bramley’s Seedling, but Kentish Fillbasket also deserves attention. That’s because it’s more than just big; it’s also got the high acid a cooker needs as well as high sugar and strong fruit flavour.

When cooked, it does what any self-respecting English cooking apple must do: it breaks down into a sweet fluff.

Kentish Fillbasket Facts

Its origins

Discovered in Kent, England, sometime before 1820.

Flavour, aroma, texture

Powerfully flavoured cooking apple, with high acid and sugar.

Appearance

A very large green apple striped and flushed with deep red.

When they’re available

Late season (usually in mid-October).

Quality for fresh eating

Mainly used in cooking.

Quality for cooking

Very good.

Quality for cider

Not particularly known as a cider apple.

Keeping ability

Good (2 to 3 months when kept refrigerated).