“There’s nothing that keeps its youth, So far as I know, but a tree and truth.”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Deacon’s Masterpiece, 1858
After last year’s bumper crop of apples and the disarmingly early drop of the Gravensteins, we vowed to do our best not to let any go to waste this season. Our Gravensteins and Pink Pearls peaked over the past week, just after the Golden Delicious and at least a week behind the Winesap, Roma and pears. Last year we hosted the Apple Jamboree on the Wowhaus compound, pressed cider and baked dozens of pies, all of which were consumed or given away that day. This year we have less fruit but it is of a more consistent, higher quality following another year of improved pruning.
We harvested several bushels with family over the past weekend which we will store until our communal cider pressing next week. Until then, we’ll eat the best of the delicate Gravensteins, a versatile and delicious heirloom variety recognized by Slow Food USA as among the 200 endangered foods in their Ark of Taste. We’re proud to care for our aging trees and relish the endangered fruit each season, especially baked in pies with fresh blackberries.
