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Post by snowmom on Oct 26, 2015 7:40:57 GMT -5
I have gotten interested in the old apple trees of this area. Almost all old farm settlements had apple trees, even the light house grounds almost always included apples. Many of the original trees are still standing. I went on an apple tree safari the past few weeks, and collected some apple tree images. one in particular fascinates me. I am hoping to track down the name of it. It is possible that this tree is a sport. I plan to contact the owners of this tree to get permission to take a few cuttings so I can have a tree like this in my yard. The fruit is shaped almost like quince and tastes sweet and very spicy, has a flavor between quince and pear. It deserves to be propagated.     |
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Post by snowmom on Oct 26, 2015 7:49:40 GMT -5
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Post by paulshiroma on Oct 26, 2015 7:59:32 GMT -5
That's pretty neat. I think we've lost a lot of varieties of fruits (and veggies) due to the need for quick ripening, shipping, storage and such.
Paul
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 26, 2015 8:25:48 GMT -5
When I was a kid, I lived behind a barnyard with a small creek lined with old quince and other fruit trees. Got to be one of the toughest, hardest fruits to grow on a tree. We used to have wars with the fruit and a good hit would knock you cold. Think some old farm folks used to make jelly from them but off the tree, they were so tough you couldn't hardy bite into them. I really miss that old farm country. That creek was lined with fruits, especially old plum, grape, and cherry varieties that you never see in stores today. Us kids used to graze the area all summer long.
My great uncle used to have a farm in the Santa Cruz Mtns of California too and that region was full of old 1800's apple orchards. Some of the varieties were really strange and wonderful. My favorite was some kind of banana apple, juicy and firm fleshed with really strong banana flavor. There was also another type that had white flesh with big red veins through it. Some kind of winesap, really strong flavored, tart and juicy. Apples in stores now days pretty much suck......Mel
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 26, 2015 8:54:51 GMT -5
We pick all our fruit her in Oregon(except the ones in Portland)....We do a lot of canning and pies with them...Can't get that flavor in the stores with their produce...LOL
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Post by woodman on Oct 26, 2015 8:57:36 GMT -5
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Post by woodman on Oct 26, 2015 9:01:24 GMT -5
We pick all our fruit her in Oregon(except the ones in Portland)....We do a lot of canning and pies with them...Can't get that flavor in the stores with their produce...LOL |
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Post by cobbledstones on Oct 26, 2015 9:01:26 GMT -5
Found fruit is the best fruit. That quince will make a jam that will knock your socks off, high in pectin already, no need to add extra. Check out the North American Fruit Explorers www.nafex.org/, just like RTH, but for fruit-hounding instead of rock-hounding |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2015 10:56:26 GMT -5
Nice thread Deb. Thanks!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 26, 2015 11:07:56 GMT -5
snowmom, you already swiped a few apples, what's keeping you from taking a few cuttings? It doesn't appear that the tree is highly valued by its owners, based on the picture. I have no idea what a quince tastes like, but you have me intrigued.
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Post by snowmom on Oct 26, 2015 19:15:58 GMT -5
Its on land that is specifically posted no collecting, etc. I got the apples as groundfalls, deer are eating them so thought it OK for me to take a couple of them and beat the slugs to 'em. We picked up 5 kinds. The trees are in a wild area of a preserve, evidently not maintained since the original farmstead was abandoned. Eventually somebody might get the idea that they are not "native" and cut them down. Have you noticed how many apple trees there are everywhere in this area? I had never seen huge bags of apples (and sugar beet) being sold from stacks in people's yards and parking lots before i moved here. In Illinois every strip of hedgerow is cut down and plowed under to make room for more rows of production, soy and corn. There are very few old homesteads standing where i lived, if they are to be abandoned, they are burned, bulldozed and planted too. Very few old orchards left there. I like the idea of learning about a little part of our agricultural heritage. I like the taste of this apple, it seems exotic!
Quince is of the same family as pear and apple. It tastes sort of like a cross between them, high in fiber and pectin, and tart unless you wait until after frost to eat them. Many varieites, all tough and many invasive, they are more like shrubs than trees. They make good pie and jelly, much better cooked than fresh. The apple here is really an apple that is closer in form to quince. I think i will be able to find young trees now I have it identified. Just getting started on learning how to ID an apple. Looks like there are as many forms as there are kinds of rock.
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Post by snowmom on Oct 26, 2015 19:20:25 GMT -5
When I was a kid, I lived behind a barnyard with a small creek lined with old quince and other fruit trees. Got to be one of the toughest, hardest fruits to grow on a tree. We used to have wars with the fruit and a good hit would knock you cold. Think some old farm folks used to make jelly from them but off the tree, they were so tough you couldn't hardy bite into them. I really miss that old farm country. That creek was lined with fruits, especially old plum, grape, and cherry varieties that you never see in stores today. Us kids used to graze the area all summer long. My great uncle used to have a farm in the Santa Cruz Mtns of California too and that region was full of old 1800's apple orchards. Some of the varieties were really strange and wonderful. My favorite was some kind of banana apple, juicy and firm fleshed with really strong banana flavor. There was also another type that had white flesh with big red veins through it. Some kind of winesap, really strong flavored, tart and juicy. Apples in stores now days pretty much suck......Mel Mel would you like to grow that apple and taste it again? I just read a description (was it listed in the link I posted to the Maine heritage apples?) somewhere of an apple that tasted like banana... i'll see if i can find it. I have had the white apples with red veining too, don't recall what they were called. An apple commonly used for baking and apple sauce if i recall correctly. I remember great huge bright red apples with brilliant white insides, called snow apples. Grew on a full sized tree. Back then the dwarfs and semi dwarf forms were not known. ok, i'll go look for the link to that banana apple...  |
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 26, 2015 21:54:34 GMT -5
I guess growing up here, I just take apple trees for granted. There are lots of abandoned trees along the side of the road. I don't pay much attention to them because the apples are usually pretty bad since they haven't bee sprayed. I guess it takes someone who didn't grow up here to point out things that are out of the ordinary elsewhere.
My wife tells a funny story about the piles of deer feed seen around town. Before feeding was banned due to TB, there was a LOT more deer feed around. We got dumbtruck loads of carrots and sugar beets at camp. My wife brought a city girl friend from college to Alpena for a weekend in the fall. She saw huge piles of carrots outside a store and asked if there was going to be a large banquet in town soon. I guess she hadn't heard of deer feed.
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Oct 26, 2015 22:32:38 GMT -5
Deb, it would be a shame to lose those genetics. I haven't seem signs saying no collecting, but I guess if I read all the long list of "nots" that some signs list, I might read no collecting. I am sure the deer are clipping the limbs, so I don't see why taking a scion would be harmful. I absolutely love what the Maine group is doing to save the varieties. Here is another interesting apple tree heritage link: www.orangepippin.com/apples#treeregistertabRob, did you mean to say "dumbtruck"? Made me laugh out loud. |
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Post by paulshiroma on Oct 26, 2015 23:23:09 GMT -5
Deb, it would be a shame to lose those genetics... x2 on that comment. |
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Post by snowmom on Oct 27, 2015 3:17:36 GMT -5
I agree wholeheartedly about saving the varieties that i can from here. We collected 5 kinds of apples that day. I have just started exploration and have many opportunities, i can tell this is going to be a new hobby/passion. I have apples in my own family heritage, my grandpa was an organic gardener with the first of the movement back in the 50's and early 60's, and he sold Stark Brothers products, always had the newest varieties. We did lots of taste testing. He Did some grafting, etc. Grandpa was one to feed my curiosity. This has awakened a long dormant interest. Looking at all the good websites about heirloom apples and other fruit, it looks like there is already a good network in place. Anybody here with good links, please post them or PM them to me?
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Post by snowmom on Oct 27, 2015 6:01:45 GMT -5
well there's not nearly as much out there as i thought there might be, i did find one wonderful website here www.applesearch.org/unknown.html I'm sure i'll find more if i continue to search. Thanks for looking! |
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snuffy
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Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Oct 27, 2015 6:33:50 GMT -5
Where is Johnny when you need him? snuffy |
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 27, 2015 8:13:10 GMT -5
Snowmom, Unfortunately we are on almost solid limestone rock here and it's pretty desert like. The only apple that grows well here is Blanco Crabapple and we have a couple of those. We practice survival gardening here. We plant and keep the survivors. Most plants, other than natives, just die unless you're lucky enough to have a spot with deep soil. I do have a vintage tree catalog somewhere, as back in Commiefornia, we had tons of fruit trees. That catalog listed a couple of banana apples but they require cool mountain environs to do well. My favorites fruits were "Sprite" and "Delight" cherry plums and "Elephant Heart Plumes". Had a bunch of rare apples developed by an Israeli friend too. One thing I miss about Commiefornia is my fruit orchard.....Mel
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 27, 2015 11:42:33 GMT -5
panamark, nope, just another typo in a long list of typos.
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