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in the US, especially at "organic" grocery stores such as Whole Foods, you can typically get various weird apple cultivars -- although usually newly-developed r

in the US, especially at "organic" grocery stores such as Whole Foods, you can typically get various weird apple cultivars -- although usually newly-developed rather than traditional. worth checking out if you like apples.

timcobb 3y ago
I've never noticed interesting apple cultivars in places like Whole Foods. I've noticed apples that had different names, but looked and tasted like Gala apples :).
InSteady 3y ago
Depending on your region, worth checking your local farmer's markets, food coops, and/or produce markets during fall-winter. There are multiple stalls in my town that have 15-20 apple varieties, only a few of which are "greatest hits" from grocery stores (pink something or other, jonagold). I have no doubt there is at least a sprinkling of heritage varieties in there.
- Kon-Peki 3y ago
  > There are multiple stalls in my town that have 15-20 apple varieties I just checked the websites of about half a dozen orchards within a reasonable driving distance from me, and they all had a range of 30-40 varieties. Not all will be ripe at the same time; 15-20 all at once is going to be a huge orchard!
RoyalHenOil 3y ago
Newly-developed apple varieties dominate because they have been carefully selected for maximum production, storage and transport qualities, appearance, etc., etc. However, if you want to see some truly weird apples, heirlooms offer way more interest and variety if you can find them. (This probably involves making friends with people who have old trees, rather than finding a shop that sells them.) For example, I live on an old family farm with an heirloom apple variety (unknown name, if it was ever named at all, but dating back to at least the 1850s) that is spicy and bubbles/fizzes when you bite into it. It's quite cool, and I think it is something some people would want to buy, but it is unsuited to modern commercial production for a few reasons; for example, it fruits on new wood at the tips of the branches, which makes it less suited to modern tree pruning strategies (all modern apple varieties fruit on older wood, which makes them much easier to prune).

timcobb 3y ago

I've never noticed interesting apple cultivars in places like Whole Foods. I've noticed apples that had different names, but looked and tasted like Gala apples :).

InSteady 3y ago

Depending on your region, worth checking your local farmer's markets, food coops, and/or produce markets during fall-winter. There are multiple stalls in my town that have 15-20 apple varieties, only a few of which are "greatest hits" from grocery stores (pink something or other, jonagold). I have no doubt there is at least a sprinkling of heritage varieties in there.

Kon-Peki 3y ago
> There are multiple stalls in my town that have 15-20 apple varieties I just checked the websites of about half a dozen orchards within a reasonable driving distance from me, and they all had a range of 30-40 varieties. Not all will be ripe at the same time; 15-20 all at once is going to be a huge orchard!

RoyalHenOil 3y ago

Newly-developed apple varieties dominate because they have been carefully selected for maximum production, storage and transport qualities, appearance, etc., etc. However, if you want to see some truly weird apples, heirlooms offer way more interest and variety if you can find them. (This probably involves making friends with people who have old trees, rather than finding a shop that sells them.) For example, I live on an old family farm with an heirloom apple variety (unknown name, if it was ever named at all, but dating back to at least the 1850s) that is spicy and bubbles/fizzes when you bite into it. It's quite cool, and I think it is something some people would want to buy, but it is unsuited to modern commercial production for a few reasons; for example, it fruits on new wood at the tips of the branches, which makes it less suited to modern tree pruning strategies (all modern apple varieties fruit on older wood, which makes them much easier to prune).