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Let 2010 Be the Year of the Heirloom Apple
Posted on Mon, February 15, 2010 by Jerusha Klemperer
14 Comments | Categories: Biodiversity, Events, Farms and Farming, News, Current Events, Take Action,
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by Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan
While the Chinese will be celebrating 2010 as the Year of the Tiger, we in America have historically had no tigers except those in zoos and circuses. But what we once have had many of—heirloom apples—are now in danger of becoming as rare as tigers are in Asia. Of some 15,000 to 16,000 apple varieties that have been named, grown and eaten on the North American continent, only about 3,000 remain widely accessible. Roughly nine out of ten apples varieties historically grown in the U.S. are at risk of falling out of cultivation, and falling off our tables.
One apple variety, Red Delicious, comprises 41% of the entire American apple crop, and eleven varieties produce 90% of all apples sold in chain grocery stores. Much of the apple juice, puree and sauce consumed in the United States is now produced in other countries. And as the overall number of apple trees in cultivation declined to a forth of what it was a century ago, the number of apple varieties considered threatened or endangered has now peaked at 94 percent. These are not just abstract statistics, for they affect not only our health, but also the health of our landscapes.
One driver of the decline in available apple diversity has been the loss of roughly 600 independently owned nurseries over the last fifteen years. They have had their business usurped by the garden-and-lawn departments (“pseudo nurseries”) of big-box stores, which offer far fewer apples. Perhaps just as problematic is that over the last half century, there has been a dramatic loss of traditional knowledge about apple cultivation and varietal usage.
But the worst may be yet to come. Climate change may be one of several natural and man-made factors reducing the number of chill hours being received in apple growing areas, leading to predictions that within four decades, apple production may be lost from orchard-rich regions like the Central Valley of California and from southern Pennsylvania.
There are signs of hope, however. Despite the economic downturn, heirloom and antique apple varieties are being successfully marketed at many of the 5,000 farmers markets and 2,500 Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) projects in the U.S. In fact, some CSAs, like the one begun by Bill Moretz in North Carolina, specialize in introducing customers to heirloom apple diversity. Consumption of hard cider is also on the rise in America, offering a means to use many heirloom varieties not well-suited for eating fresh. Future market prospects for heirloom apples look good, both among chefs and cider makers.
The Renewing America’s Food Traditions Alliance is now proposing that 90 endangered apple varieties in each region be earmarked for recovery to our orchards, cideries, restaurants and kitchens. To find out what you can do to celebrate the Year of the Heirloom Apple, go to the RAFT Alliance web page.
Gary Nabhan is co-founder of Sabores Sin Fronteras and the Renewing America’s Food Traditions Alliance.
Member Comments
From FoodFitnessFreshAir on Tue, February 16, 2010
Hooray for heirloom apples. It’s good to hear there’s at least some hope for heirloom. With all the varieties of apples, I’m still confounded by why red delicious (or red undelicious) are the apples that are supplied everywhere. I mean I know the reasons why they are (previously wrote an article about this http://foodfitnessfreshair.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/moving-away-from-fresh/), but I’m just really not a fan. There are so many tastier varieties, and it kills me that when I’m offered a free apple, it’s always one of those over-waxed cardboard red delicious.
From John Mosman on Tue, February 16, 2010
Hi, going to the RAFT page and clicking on the “Recover Forgotten Fruit” link goes to a page that is missing information, blank area below heading.
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/raft_detail/recover_forgotten_fruit/
Thanks, John
From Paul Kobulnicky on Tue, February 16, 2010
I’ve tried to grow a Gravenstein everywhere I’ve lived. I usually get one on super-dwarfing rootstock (I’ve even grafted them myself) and then espallier them on a trellis. Takes little room and they are easy to grow. I do a Gravenstein because I found an ancient tree on my first property and just adopted the variety. World’s best as a “single variety applesauce” apple.
From Amy Boland on Tue, February 16, 2010
Red Insipid, more like it. I hate that stupid apple.
Here in Minnesota, people are still passionate about finding and eating new/old favorites. The desire for heirloom apples is here. We just need the means: growers and distribution. Farmers markets to the rescue.
From debbie on Wed, February 17, 2010
I know of a place in Vermont that does sell heirloom variety apples and probably next year, we will take from an old list that was left hanging in our barn and look for these varieties to bring back to our property and use during in the breakfast we serve at the Inn.
It’s called Scotts farm: http://www.scottfarmvermont.com
It’s a great place to learn and purchase apple tree’s
check it out
Deb
From Dave Snyder on Wed, February 17, 2010
I couldn’t agree more! More and more people are becoming aware of these issues, both as growers and consumers. In Chicago, we’re seeing large crowds at lectures and workshops on crop diversity. Even though the antique varieties from the Chicago Rarities Orchard Project won’t be harvestable for many years, we’ve gotten tons of interest and support already.
If 2009 was productive, 2010 will be a windfall.
From debbie on Wed, February 17, 2010
In Chicago at the Lincoln Park Farmers Market…last year there was a booth just for apples it was wonderful, and i had an opportunity to taste apples that I never heard of before…I took the info card they had on those apples, to see if I could find them here, only a few are available, but that is becuase of zoning, so I am seeing thing happen, more education is the key,
Work with your cooperative exchange, and anyone who is involved in local foods movement…if there is no one, create your own…
From Betty Todd on Mon, March 01, 2010
Hurray for apples on our far NW coast. My last week’s apple pie had 3 different varieties of locally grown apples. I’m originally from MI and now thoroughly enjoy WA’s return to heritage apples.
From Lethene Parks on Tue, March 02, 2010
I second Betty’s Hooray for apples on our far NW coast. I own farm property in the NE corner of Washington State. In 1901 my grandfather planted 80 apple trees on the property. Today ten of those trees are still alive and bearing apples. I don’t know all the varieties but I have Winter Banana, common delicious, Striped astrakhan, gravenstein and several others—all are superior to red delicious for flavor and keeping quality.
In HOod River, Oregon, about an hour’s drive east of Portland, there are many apple and pear orchards. The apple orchards have numerous heirloom varieities—I think we ocunted 70 varieties last fall. In October the growers have a tasting weekend. My daughter and I usually purchase our winter supply of apples there—a mix of newer varieities (most of which are not available in stores) and heirloom varieties. The orchardists in this area are doing it right and we are beginning to see locally grown heirloom varieities not onlya t farmers markets but also at the supermarket. Hooray!
From Emily on Tue, March 02, 2010
Another hooray, but where can I find this list of the 90 endangered apples? As John points out, the Discover Forgotten Fruit page is blank. I want to do my part, so I’d really like to know what varieties to be looking at come spring!
From Paula Shatkin on Tue, March 02, 2010
The Sebastopol Gravenstein Apple Presidia of Slow Food has been working for 7 years to save the Gravenstein Apple here in Sonoma County, where we grow over 27 varieties of apples, all of which are endangered by pressures from Chinese apple juice concentrate imports and by the expansion of more profitable grape growing in our area. to find out more, please contact us.
From Robert Porter on Tue, March 02, 2010
Fortunately there are small pockets of orchardists that have actively searched and preserved heirloom fruit stock.
One of my favorite orchards is Rural Ridge Orchards (website: http://www.vintagevirginiaapples.com/)outside of Charlottesville, VA. They hold a great little festival promoting heirlooms and teach the techniques that one needs to grow fruit trees. I have also had the pleasure of meeting Tom Burford, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on heirloom apples, at Rural Ridge.
From Emily on Tue, April 27, 2010
Okay, so first of all, please get rid of the stupid Nike thing, which I think is some sort of ad, though I can barely understand it.
Second, not knowing what’s heirloom, I planted a Jonathan and a Lodi, Jonathan’s being something of a Colorado tradition, apparently, and Lodi being what the Arbor Day Foundation folks recommended to pollinate it with. They’ve been in the ground less than a week, but hopefully I will have many wonderful apple-icious things to report to you all in the coming years!
From Lethene Parks on Wed, April 28, 2010
The absolute best apple for sauce and pies I have ever tyasted is the Wealthy. It’s an ealry apple—between a Yellow TRansparent and a Gravenstein. My aunt, who was a fmaous cook, always swore by Spitzenbergs as the very best pie apple. Both are superior event to Granvenstein in flavor
My daughter and I make apple sauce from Honey Crisp apples; they are so naturally sweet that you need no sugar at all. After we make our annual trip to the orcdhards at HOod River, Oregon, we make and freeze apple sauce for all winter. Another trick: slice your apples for pie; mix in the sugar, spices, flour, etc. Freeze this filling in pie pans and, once frozen, remove from pans and slip into plastic freezer bags. Then, anytime you want a fresh-baked apple pie, make a crust, slip in your frozen pie filling and bake. I have also had good luck with frozen pies. I just put them in the overn straigt from the freezer and bake as usual. Might have to bake a few extra minutes to be sure the apples are cooked all the way through.
Along with a disconnect from freshly grown food, we suffer a disconnect from knowledge of how to cook from scratch. I thank my grandma and aunts—wonderful cooks all—for teaching me to cook from scratch. I still do; buy virtually no prepared foods. I’ve taught my daughters and granddaughters to cook from scratch too. It’s much healthier as you can better control amounts of sugar, salt, fats, etc. and have food that tastes good.
