The Illustrated History of Apples in North America

Apple Aficionado?

Then be on the lookout for Dan Bussey's 3000 page Tome de Pome called "The Illustrated History of Apples in North America" addressing 17,000  varieties from 1623 to 2000.

This was quite an article in NY Times.  Here's the link:  An Apple A Day for 47 Years.

Cider & Apple Events Near Portland

Looking to Enjoy Cider Events?

OCTOBER 11
The Home Orchard Society is having a Harvest Fest Potluck on October 11 which includes cider pressing.  Click here to read more:  Home Orchard Society Potluck.   I really wish we were in town for this one.

OCTOBER 11-12
Smith Berry Barn is hosting the 21st Annual Heirloom Apple Festival in Hillsboro.  Click here to read the write up in Travel Oregon:  Heirloom Apple Festival.

OCTOBER 25-26
Try the Heirloom Apple Celebration Weekend October 25-26 in Hood River.  Click here to see their poster:  Heirloom Apple Celebration.


Our Halloween Cat, Dusty, watching me sort apples.

Apple Varieties We Didn't Juice This Year

Not every year produces a bumper crop.

These are the varieties in my cider orchard that we didn't include in this year's juice pressing:

Calville Blanc (1598)

Planted in King Louis XIII garden at Orleans in 1627.  Originating in France/Germany around 1598 and grown for Louis XIII, Calville Blanc is higher in Vitamin C than an orange.  Sometimes referred to as the dessert apple of France because it holds up beautifully in baked goods.

I love the color and shape of this apple.  The color is a very pale spring green with a handsomely striking red blush.  The contrast is remarkable.  The shape is described as somewhat "oblate."  As you can see from the second photo taken of the bottom side of the Calville Blanc, it has very pointy indentations that gives it a flattened heart shape.

 Bottom of the Calville Blanc

Calville Blanc (left) compared to a Winter Banana (right)

It has an unusual shape in comparison to modern apples, as it is more oblate than round and has very distinctive ridges toward the bottom.  As you can see it is flatter, wider and shorter, common for the extremely old varieties.

Arkansas Black (1870)

Originated from a Winesap seedling in an orchard in Bentonville Arkansas in 1870.  A beautiful dark red apple, considered to be the best storage apple, keeping all winter.  A winesap is essential in cider.  Arkansas Black needs the Winter Banana for pollination.  This is a lovely deep burgundy apple, appearing to be nearly black in some light.

Ashmead's Kernel (1700s)

An ancient English variety about 300 years old, it was raised by Dr. Thomas Ashmead of Gloucester, England. The flavor has been described as "strong, sweet-sharp intense."  The apple's flavor is intensely strong when first picked, but sweetens and mellows greatly after several weeks in storage.  High sugar content, good acid balance. This variety is most often included in cider making.

Roxbury Russet (1640)

Presumably, the oldest apple variety of North America.  Found in Massachusetts in 1640, thought to have been planted by European immigrants.  Great cooking, cider & keeping apple.   Sugar content is very high (12.87%).  Roxbury Russet is a large apple no longer found on the commercial market.  An excellent keeper until April or May.  A delicious apple for cider.

Very similar to the Golden Russet, although older and perhaps just a little sweeter.

Cider Apples

The Esopus Spitzenberg (1700's)

 

Rumored to be Thomas Jefferson's favorite eating apple from Monticello.  Jefferson operated Monticello as a working farm, growing apples for commerce.  The Esopus Spitzenberg, introduced sometime in the 1700s by an early Dutch settler for whom it was named, was grown in a settlement on the Hudson River in New York, called Esopus.  This was the apple Jefferson supposedly kept for himself.

An excellent cider apple that has a very sharp flavor with enough acid to balance the sweetness, the Esopus Spitzenberg is susceptible to many diseases afflicting heirloom apples. 

I was fortunate that mine turned out only partially afflicted despite their relative neglect over the past few years.  Our tree was very bountiful this year.

The E. Spitzenberg is a lovely green with a red blush and a buttery yellow flesh.

This variety is exceptionally high in malic acid, although  mild, it is good for digestion.  A nice eating apple, but an even nicer cider apple.

25 Years in the Making

 

 25 Years in the Making

About 25 years ago, I read an article in the Better Homes & Gardens magazine about a man whose mission it was to preserve heirloom apples for their history and taste.  I carefully tore that article from the magazine and placed it in my wish file for for the day when I would have enough land to plant my own heirloom apple orchard.  I dreamed I would call this gentleman for advice and follow his legacy.

Many years passed until I finally had the land and desire to to put down roots to realize the fruit from this labor.  I had studied his recommendations on the best combination of apples for cider.  As planned, I hunted down the man from the Better Homes & Gardens article and found a phone number to call.  I was one year too late, as the gentleman had passed away.  His family advised me that they had sold all his root stock to a new business that would be carrying on his legacy called "Trees of Antiquity."

The rest is history.  I found 9 varieties of heirloom apples from Trees of Antiquities a decade ago that just yielded their first cider pressing.