Issues → September/October 2010 → Food →
Knowledge & Wisdom: How to Eat Beyond the Mac
Writer and apple connoisseur Ben Watson is the author of Cider: Hard and Sweet. He lives in Francestown, New Hampshire.
by Ian Aldrich
Ben Watson's apple world is bigger than most--and he thinks everyone should have the chance to experience it. "We have these apples that are sweet and crisp, but they don't taste like anything," he says of common grocery-store types. Some 14,000-16,000 named varieties have originated in the U.S.--several hundred in New England alone. They're diverse in flavor, in appearance, and in name. Autumn, in other words, can be as much about the Westfield Seek-No-Further, the Hubbardston Nonesuch, and the Esopus Spitzenberg as it is about the McIntosh, the Cortland, and the Red Delicious.
Flavoricious
Different apples deliver different tastes. Take the Granite Beauty (above), a New Hampshire variety that serves up a warm, spicy taste (think cardamom or coriander). The Mother, which originated in Bolton, Mass., is a dessert apple with a pleasant balsamic flavor.
Get Procative
If you want something different, ask for it--and your local orchard is a great place to start. Two of Watson's favorite New Hampshire orchards: Alyson's in Walpole and Gould Hill in Contoocook. "[An orchardist] may know where to go," Watson says, "or they may have one or two trees themselves. They just haven't put them out because they don't think anybody wants them."
Going Green
The Rhode Island Greening is a dessert and baking favorite that was adored so much by Providence founder Roger Williams that he was reportedly buried beneath an apple tree. "Great texture, nice flavor," Watson says. "One of the best pie apples. It kicks Granny Smith's butt."
Hill Country Treat
Old-time Mainers know all about the Black Oxford, a native variety that ripens in mid- to late October. It stores well and offers the right sugar/acid balance, giving it both sweet and tart flavors for great off-the-tree eating.
Livin Large
Like something with a little heft? Then go for the Wolf River, which can weigh up to a pound and a half each. When Watson recently got his hands on one, he gave it to his local general store. "Everybody commented on it," he says. "Customers were snapping pictures of their babies next to it."
Old School
Colonists loved the versatility of the Roxbury Russet, a Massachusetts variety and the oldest named American apple. "It's good for cooking, good for cider making, and can be stored until April," Watson says. How? Put it in a plastic bag, punch a few holes for some air, and keep it in a root cellar.
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