Today in the orchard
The rain was back with a vengeance. It was a good day to sit at the desk and make spray plans for the coming weeks. We also spent a couple of hours sorting through apples in the rootcellar. It’s an annual May event that always yields a great deal of roughage for the compost pile along with a few interesting discoveries of cultivars that keep really well (or do not.) Some of the apples that have been down there for over six months are still usable. The Redfields are gone by; their annual limit is about April 15. The Ashmead’s Kernel are shriveled but haven’t rotted. The Ben Davis (of course) look perfect. The Northern Spys are about 50-50; they weren’t that good this year. The Rox and Box (Roxbury Russet and Black Oxford) as mentioned a few days ago, look great. In the next few days, I’ll report on the other superior keepers.
Mettais, Palermo, May 6, 2025
One cultivar that kept beautifully is Mettais, a French bittersweet cider apple that I’ve been observing for the past couple of years. It has been producing really well for us. It ripens late making it perfect for those post-Cider Days November pressings. The flavor and texture are quintessential cider. Cammy described it as “pecan pie, butterscotch, very bitter, some slight astringency, some tartness though not sharp, more sweet than acid. Some cottony, some juiciness.”
We still have a few cider apple trees for sale. If interested, be in touch ASAP.
