Today in the orchard
I returned home from fruit exploring in Aroostook County and jumped back into picking. This afternoon I picked Screen Shot, Milwaukee, Payson Estate, and Snow (aka Fameuse).
Milwaukee is a large oblate cooking apple that may have been historically grown in Maine. I’m trying to sort that out. Payson Estate is an odd-looking apple—probably a seedling—large size fruit with nearly no basin. We thought it could be a good cooking apple so we whipped up a galette with some leftover dough and a bag of Payson Estate drops. The apples in the opening at the top stayed chewy and even a bit crispy while those down deep in the galette got soft and almost sauce-like. Pretty perfect. Could have used a bit more sweetner. The original source tree is in Falmouth, ME and is huge. Fameuse is one of the most famous northern hardy dessert and sauce apples.
Screen Shot is one of my favorite seedling discoveries. It’s oddly-shaped and strangely-flavored. Just my type of apple. We could try to sell them, but I don’t think anyone would want them after a nibble or two (maybe one). The flesh is dense, spongy and juicy all at the same time, low in acid with some astringency and bitterness. It makes a very thick, tasty sauce. We need more apples like Screen Shot!