Translucent marbling in apples - Ask Extension
Hi. I have a McIntosh apple tree. The apples are nicely shaped, the skin is good color. The inside of the apples have a translucent or kind of clear m...
Knowledgebase
Translucent marbling in apples #213996
Asked September 24, 2014, 12:33 AM EDT
Hi. I have a McIntosh apple tree. The apples are nicely shaped, the skin is good color. The inside of the apples have a translucent or kind of clear marbling or veins throughout. The texture is good throughout, the flavor is good. It seems mostly cosmetic and occurs every year. Do you know what causes the marbling? Is there a name for the condition and should I treat the tree? Thank you.
Lane County Oregon
Expert Response
The condition is known as "water core". Often, it will develop in late stages of ripening, and then go away as the apples are stored. It is usually symptomatic of apples that have been left on the tree longer than is typically done commercially (i.e. tree ripened).
