Master Gardening: Thank you Johnny Appleseed
They are eaten right off the tree, baked in a pie, pressed into cider or cooked into sauce — APPLES are a basic component of American food culture. October is the month to celebrate apples thanks in part, to Johnny Appleseed. His real name was John Chapman. It has been said he became famous for planting apple trees throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois during the early 1800’s. However, apples are not planted by seeds because the trees that would grow from these seeds would not necessarily remain true to the tree from which they were taken. The apples that Chapman favored for planting were small and tart "spitters.” These apples were named for what you'd likely do if you took a bite of one. But this made them perfect for making hard cider and applejack. This was a far more valuable crop than edible apples. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan writes, “Up until Prohibition, an apple grown in America was far less likely to be eaten than to wind up in a barrel of cider.” In rural areas cider took the place of not only wine and beer but of coffee, tea, juice, and even water. Where water could house hazardous bacteria, cider was safe and delicious.”
Currently there are 25 to 30 kinds of “wild apples” grown throughout the world. When the English colonists arrived in North America they found only crab apples which are the only native apple to the United States and were not very edible. (The crab apple is the ancestor of many of the varieties of apples grown today.) The Massachusetts Bay Colony requested cuttings from England, which were brought over on the later voyages. One key bit of information many historians fail to mention; is those early orchards produced very few apples because there were no honey bees to do the job of pollination. History indicates that colonies of honey bees were shipped from England and landed in the Colony of Virginia as early as 1622. A few bee shipments were made to Massachusetts between 1630 and 1633.
The apple is actually a member of the rose family (Rosacea) and is the most widely cultivated tree fruit. The orchard tree is small and deciduous with a broad often densely “twiggy” crown. The most popular apple variety is the red delicious. The varieties you find in your local orchards or farm market aren’t there by chance, but rather the result of the knowledge and efforts of many people. The orchards need year round care by trained people. Budding, grafting, planting, pruning, insect/disease control, pollination, irrigation, and thinning are many facets of the science of pomology. The “orchardist” must be a “jack of all trades” and master of them also. Timing is of utmost importance when harvesting, storing, packing, and marketing in order to get quality apples to the customer in the best condition.
Currently, there are approximately 10,000 varieties of apples grown around the world. Our country’s modern orchards combine the rich heritage of apple growing with research and field trials. The annual U.S. crop presently exceeds 220,000,000 bushels. New varieties are still being discovered and cultivated. The “best of bunch” eventually becoming household words you may be familiar with such as: McIntosh, Delicious, Honey Crisp, Rome, Spartan, Cortland and Granny Smith.
The following is a short “fruit profile” of the three apple varieties that make good apple cobblers, apple desserts, and just plain snacking. There are many other varieties to use for the table, but space is limited to list them all. For now I have chosen varieties that are easily found at local orchards or grocery stores.
Some people think that golden delicious is simply the yellow cousin of the popular red delicious apple. But in fact they are related in name only. This honey sweet apple is a special treat all on its own. Speculation has it that this apple’s ancestry came from grimes golden variety and was pollinated by the Golden Reinette variety. The Reinette is of English origin and was also known as English Pippin.
Stayman-Winesap (One of the oldest varieties)
The Stayman-Winesap has a history dating back to the colonial era. At one time it was one of the most popular apples grown in North America. The Stayman-Winesap is a cross between Stayman and Winesap varieties. The combination of the two strains produces an apple of outstanding eating quality. The apple’s flesh is firm and crisp and frequently features red veins. The best flavor description of Winesap is a slightly tart, surprisingly spicy, and has an almost wine-like taste.
With its ideal round shape and deep red color, Rome Beauty qualifies as one of the prettiest apples. Its taste is described as middle-of-the-road, not too sweet or tart. This is one I’d mix with something else because it has a real good consistency but not a strong flavor. The hard green/white flesh keeps its shape for baking and cooking.
At some point this fall, plan to take an outing to a local orchard and handpick some of the apple varieties. Then enjoy your own apple cobbler or dessert.
Kathy Rohrbaugh is a York County Master Gardener. Penn State Master Gardeners are volunteers for Penn State Cooperative Extension. For more information, call the extension office at the above number or email at YorkMG@psu.edu.
Also of interest: Apple dishes, desserts and drinks for the fall
Here is an easy cobbler to prepare that has a crunchy top and is excellent with ice cream or milk.
Easy Apple Cobbler
6 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced, use a mix of apple varieties
1 tbsp of lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar plus 2 tbsp sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 large eggs
¾ cup butter, melted
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
1. In a mixing bowl mix apples with lemon juice, 2 tbsp sugar & 1 tsp cinnamon.
Pour apples in a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
2. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and eggs until it looks like coarse cornmeal.
3 Sprinkle topping over the apples.
4 Pour melted butter over the entire dish.
5 Bake 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until top is lightly browned
6 Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel