Roxbury Russet Apple

We got a couple of Roxbury Russets.

Roxbury Russet, along with Rhode Island Greening, one of the two oldest named varieties native to the United States.  Also called, among other things, "Leather Coat," it sports an ugly skin, which contributes to its lack of eye appeal.  It has a high sugar content, and ferments to about 6% alcohol, which makes it a dandy cider apple.

The skin on this example is rough, and in this case lumpy.  Very crisp, juicy.

Wickson Crab Apple

While most professional cider apples date to the 19th century or earlier, Wickson was developed in California in the early twentieth. Albert Etter, a prolific and reputedly eccentric breeder, developed several strawberries and apples, many of which were lost after his death.

  

The majority of web sites and other publications list Newtown Pippin and Esopus Spitzenburg as the parents of Wickson, however Greenmantle Nursery, which rescued Etter's original orchard, rather lists two little known crabs, Newton and Spitzenberg.

In any event, Wickson is a very acid and incredibly sweet little apple, too small to be commercially successful, but dandy for artisanal cider making.  Rowan Jacobsen, in Apples of Uncommon Character, recommends Wickson in his "Slow Roasted Baby Apples" recipe, but most folks are content to drink them.

There are a few apples on our Wickson Crabapple tree.  When one fell off, it gave an opportunity to check it out.

It seems kind of large for a crabapple to me.

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It's still not ready, but it is fun to see.

Isn't it pretty inside?

It was very bitter - one reason it is chosen for a cider apple.

Maybe next year will be a better one for apples.

Dabinett Apple

Dabinett is one of the few apples that can make a good single variety cider.

Discovered by William Dabinett in a hedgerow in Middle Lambrook, Somerset, in the early twentieth century.  Middle Lambrook lies between East Lambrook and West Lambrook, and sits on the north bank of Lambrook Brook.  Dabinett (the tree) is reputed to be the offspring of Chisel Jersey, another quality Somerset apple.

The apple is a moderate bittersweet, held in high regard  in the UK and the US  both as a single varietal and as a great blending apple.  

This one is beginning to exhibit water-core damage.