Apples

Apple varieties are dwindling. Who cares? We should. Apples represent America and the roots of this country. The care that most citizens put into the growing and preparation of the fruit, represented the growth and care and respect of all.  Go to an apple orchard before the picking season is over. It is the only place you can get a true crisp apple without much pesticides on it. The supermarket apples are altered in that they are very shiny with thick skins and tend to rot from the inside quickly. They also are not as sweet as a fresh picked apple. 

In the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains there are apple orchards in the town of Pinnacle trying to save the integrity of 200 years of work from the settlers here in America. 150 years ago there were 6,000 varieties of apples that were widely grown and now that has dwindled down to a few hundred varieties.  No one seems to care to preserve the varieties.  

It takes care and devotion to maintain a apple tree for decades. Each year it must be carefully pruned in an effort to save old southern apples. Apples are as American as….. you know, Apple Pie. The seeds were brought here by some of the first European settlers. Apples were a critical part of the early American diet. They are hearty, nutritious, delicious and versatile.

They were fried for breakfast as apple fritters. They were stewed for supper. They were dried on the roof tops of their homes so they can have apples in the wintertime. The settlers managed their wealth and took care of the apple seed to fortify them year round.

The variety of apples had distinctive names like Arkansas Black, Gilmore Winesap, Swiss Limbertwig and Paragon to name a few. But as time went on these heirloom varieties started to disappear. Well, you can blame it on the railroads. The Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s. Now the apple could be shipped from distant places. They didn’t need to grow apples to survive anymore. Just like simply putting your money in a bank account in your local main street bank we put our money in funds somewhere in cyber space. 

Over 30 years ago there are farmers that decided to bring back lost apples. They are saving more than 500 varieties. Some of which are the only ones known to exist. But saving these apples are not just about saving history, the taste needs to be savored. Some taste like coconut or pineapple or even raspberries.

Go 60 miles north from Pinnacle, North Carolina to Dugspur Virginia, award winning ciders are being made. The complex flavors of the old types of apples are making an interesting flavor for cider. The main company is Foggy Ridge Cider that is offering the latest edition of an American tradition. Restaurants are now offering gourmet ciders somewhere between the beer and wine lists and the soda and iced tea list.

The gourmet cider industry is the fund that is growing for the apple orchard owners. To find an apple that was thought to be extinct to spend 30 years to grow it and to taste it for the first time is an ultimate experience. Just like all the money people were supposed to be able to enjoy after 30 years of saving their money to be growing and put towards their retirement.

Apples originated in Kazakhstan where they have been evolving for over 4.5 million years just like money that has been around for the same time. Hold on to your money and try to make it grow because it is dwindling and no one is going to jail for loosing it.