Others among these so-called heritage apples had particularly delicate fruit or were perfect for making the best ciders, both sweet and hard. From many of these seed-grown trees, producers identified and vegetatively propagated (mainly through grafting) untold apple varieties, some of which were specifically adapted to a farm’s microclimate. Indeed, John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, was so passionate about preparing the way for civilization that he made it his life’s work to plant orchards all over the country. Early settlers established orchards by the thousands, often using apple seed or nursery seedlings grown from seed. In any case, apples have been part of human culture so long that at least 17,000 varieties have been described.Īpples came to North America with the first colonists and quickly became an important sweetener and source of juice for fermented beverages and vinegar. Greek literary references mention these pome fruits at about 800 B.C., while archeological excavations have identified human-associated apple remains dating to more than 6000 B.C. Pinpointing precisely when humans first cultivated apples and pears is just about anyone’s guess, but it happened several thousand years ago. Heritage apple varieties bring back the flavor of yesterday’s orchards. Here is an heirloom apple varieties list you can grow on your own property.
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