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If Barbie were an apple, she’d be one of the gleaming, perfectly symmetrical orbs you can find at any typical American supermarket. I, for one, prefer a more homely specimen, one that isn’t nearly as superficially beautiful, but stands proud with dimples and lopsidedness and russeting around the scruff.
Many older apple varieties are not classically beautiful, in the apple sense of the phrase—shiny, shiny skin and a shapely physique. But these antique apples look somehow more natural and fundamentally pure. And you can almost picture the knobby tree that bore them, growing in a beautiful mountainside orchard.
Plus, they’re downright tasty. “Most of the mainstream varieties sold in supermarkets have been bred or selected because they’re by and large sweet, juicy, and crisp in texture,” says Ben Watson, chairman of the Slow Food USA Ark Committee, a group dedicated to preserving foods at risk of extinction. “There’s nothing at all wrong with that, but to me they have a certain bland sameness. They tend to be more watery than flavorful. And, except for Granny Smith, none of them exhibit any kind of real acidity.”
Acid content is key to a great apple. In fact, a good ratio of sugar and acid is a prized trait, called “high flavor” by fruit experts. For this, Watson’s own favorites include antique varieties such as Ribston Pippin, Esopus Spitzenburg, and Ashmead’s Kernel.
“So much of what is grown commercially is bred to the lowest common denominator of public taste—and that tends to be bland and sweet,” says Charlotte Shelton of North Garden’s Vintage Virginia Apples, which sells more than 200 varieties, many of which are antique. “The object is not to give someone a marvelous taste experience but not to offend anyone so you sell more product.”
Many of us would never get the chance to even taste any of these more obscure apples, since the main places we shop don’t want to risk selling lopsided or nonstandard varieties that might not appeal to the average consumer.
“Produce buyers at supermarkets make those ‘quality’ decisions for us,” Watson says. “I suspect if you ask people if they would accept a bit of sooty blotch or fly speck on unsprayed apples (both harmless, superficial ‘summer diseases’ that affect apples cosmetically, but not the quality of the fruit), many people wouldn’t have a problem buying
them. It’s all about apple literacy.”
And understanding that you can’t judge an apple by its cover is one of the first lessons. “Some of the finest-flavored late apples, real connoisseur fruits, are among the least visually attractive,” says Watson, who explains that wonderful antique varieties like Hudson’s Golden Gem and the aforementioned Ashmead’s Kernel, which are covered in brown russet, are so plain, they could be mistaken for a potato.
“It’s never wise to judge an apple by its appearance,” he says. “We did that for years with Red Delicious, which looks great, but you can’t eat looks.”
PICK YOUR OWN APPLES
Many of these PYO orchards have specific dates and times for doing so, so please call ahead before traveling.
ALBEMARLE
Carter Mountain Orchard,
Charlottesville
(434) 977-1833
www.cartermountainorchard.com
Wayland Orchard, Crozet
(434) 823-7323; dfwayl@embarqmail.net
AMHERST
Morris Orchard, Monroe
(434) 929-2401; aplebskt2000@hotmail.com
Rock Hill Orchard, Monroe
(434) 384-3366; fsm10@juno.com
MADISON
Graves Mountain Farm, Syria
(540) 923-4231 or (540) 923-4638
www.gravesmountain.com
Ward’s Vineyard & Fruit Farm Rochelle
(540) 948-4171
NELSON
Dickie Bros. Orchard, Roseland
(434) 277-5516
www.dickiebros.com
Flippin-Seaman, Tyro
(434) 277-5824
www.flippin-seaman.com
ORANGE
Honey Hill Orchards, Mine Run
(540) 854-5941
hjk9@vabb.com
ROCKINGHAM
Johnson’s Orchards, Bedford
(540) 586-3707
www.johnsonsorchards.com
Gross’ Orchard, Bedford
(540) 586-2436
wwwgrossorchards.com
ORCHARDS WITH ANTIQUE AND HERITAGE APPLES
Henley’s Orchard, Crozet
(434) 823-4037
Johnson’s Orchards, Bedford
(540) 586-3707; www.johnsonsorchards.com
Vintage Virginia Apples, North Garden
(434) 297-2326; www.vintagevirginiaapples.com
APPLE FESTIVALS
October 10, 11, 17, 18
Graves Mountain Apple
Harvest Festival, Syria
(540) 923-4231;
gravesmountain.com/appleharvest.htm
October 17
Flippin-Seaman Apple Butter Festival, Tyro
(434) 277-5824; www.flippin-seaman.com
October 17
Fairview Christian Church Apple Butter
Making Festival
Fairview Christian Church, Madison
(540) 948-3603
October 17
Gross’ Orchard’s 19th Apple Harvest
Festival, Bedford
(540) 586-2436; www.grossorchards.com
October 17 and 18
Amherst County Apple Festival
Amherst County High School
(434) 845-5606 or (434) 847-7435
October 17 and 18
Drumheller’s Apple Butter Festival,
Lovingston
(434) 263-5036
November 7
Vintage Virginia’s 9th Annual Apple
Harvest Festival, North Garden
www.vintagevirginiaapples.com/harvestfest.htm
November 14
Apple Cider Making with Tom Burford
Saunders Bros., Piney River
(434) 277-5455; www.saundersbrothers.com
—Sara Teaster
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