Today in the orchard
Skylar and I spent a bunch of time editing our list of apple mysteries to solve this fall. We have some interesting adventures ahead. Later we walked the orchards to inventory the ripe fruit. We’re currently in a late September ripening lull, but we’ll be picking again before long. We need to plant a few more late September cultivars.
We did pick the Brandywine, one of the most bitter and unpleasant-tasting fruit we grow. A true spitter. Of course, that makes it one of my absolute favorites. Brandywine was originally selected as an ornamental. The double flowers (multi-petaled) are incredibly beautiful and fragrant. The one-inch fruit has largely diminished (or ruined) its popularity with ornamental growers. For cidermakers, however, it’s got everything: flowers, fragrance and nasty bitter fruit.