Vista Bella

When we are waiting for the first apples of the year, Vista Bella is the one that sticks its head out first, joining the sweet cherries, plums, strawberries and all the other berries that still dominate the summer harvest.
It is so early that in some years we can begin picking it as early as late July.
Which is actually quite remarkable for an apple.
But being first comes at a price.
Vista Bella is an American variety dating back to the 1950s and was introduced into Norwegian production in the early 1970s. The flavour is certainly good, with a strong, fresh apple character leaning more towards acidity than sweetness.
But this is not exactly the world's toughest apple.
Vista Bella is highly susceptible to apple scab. The black spots almost seem to appear if someone merely mentions the word “rain”. And once the apples are ready to harvest, another challenge begins.
This is the porcelain of the apple world.
The skin is extremely delicate, and the fruit tolerates very little rough handling before bruises and pressure marks appear. Good calcium availability is therefore important for achieving the best possible fruit quality, but Vista Bella will never be the apple you casually throw around in a box.
Its shelf life isn't particularly impressive either.
Ideally, the customer would come to the farm, pick the apple directly from the tree – and eat it before walking away. :D
Because perfectly fresh, Vista Bella is a very good apple.
And perhaps most importantly:
When the first Vista Bellas are ready, apple season has begun.
Summer?
Thankfully, that's far from over.

- Our earliest apple variety – in some years ready as early as late July
- American variety dating back to the 1950s
- Introduced into Norwegian production in the early 1970s
- Strong, fresh apple flavour with more acidity than sweetness
- Highly susceptible to apple scab
- The porcelain of the apple world – extremely sensitive to knocks and handling
- Good calcium availability is important for the best possible fruit quality
- Short shelf life – best eaten as fresh as possible
- When Vista Bella is ready, apple season has begun
- Apple season has started – but summer is far from over