Anthropologists tell us there were apples being eaten as far back as the Stone Age. Certainly the ancient Greeks and Romans enjoyed apples, if their mythology is to be believed. But as American as apple pie might be, the apple as we know it is not native to the United States. Only the inedible crab apple was here to greet the first Pilgrims. Like so many other crops, seeds and cuttings had to be brought over from England and eventually from other European counties, to be planted and established in the colonies. The people importing stock would pick their favorites in taste and resiliency, so apple trees in the U.S. underwent a pre-selection process before they were ever established. As settlers expanded across the country, apple trees could be found on almost every farm. While some of those early varieties have been supplanted by superior modern types, some are still planted and enjoyed today. Apple trees don't live forever. So if we still have these varieties in cultivation, someone had to have considered them worthy enough to plant. Have you ever tried a Baldwin, Golden Russet, Jonathan or a Lady Apple?
For the most part, commercial apple growing focuses on the newer, more disease resistant cultivars like Empire, Liberty and Fuji. To be sure, these varieties can be delicious, especially fresh picked. But as I've said before, commercial growers often have needs that out weigh taste. Just because some of the older varieties of apples don't lend themselves to mass production, that doesn't mean that aren't viable crops and worth seeking out for a taste treat in the Fall. Whether you wish to grow your own heirloom apples or you just want a source to purchase them, antique apples, as the older varieties are known today, are still very much on the market. You just need to know what to look for. According to A Brief Apple History by The Big Apple, a family farm and fruit
