 |
Today's apple runs medium-large-by-large, a yellow-green sphere with slightly raised lenticels, some russeted to brown.
Some of these apples have a small faint rosy blush, and my tasting sample has a dramatic splash of russet spilling out from the stem well.
Northwest Greening's calyx is open and shallow, and the firm unbroken fruit has a very faint sweet aroma scented with pear.
The flesh, a very light yellow with green highlights, is medium fine-grained and a bit dry. It's crisp and dense, with a little give to the tooth. I don't think Northwest Greening is primarily an eating apple.
For all of that, it has a nice flavor, favoring the tart but not unpalatably so, mild and with hints of citrus and pear. This gives way to toast notes as the fruity juices leave towards the end of the chew. The pear returns faintly in the aftertaste.
Many sources say, without attribution, that Northwest Greening originated in Wisconsin in 1872, a Golden Russet - Alexander cross. See, for example, All About Apples' catalog.
The texture and flavor of this variety do suggest some russet qualities, and NW Greening appears in the farm and agricultural reports as early as 1903 (when it was apparently controversial).
Wisconsin would have been the "Northwest"—the frontier—to the recent memory of many alive in 1872.
Nice site!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to request permission to use two images from http://adamapples.blogspot.com/2009/12/ - the photo of a greening apple and the photo of a glass of apple cider - in a book about symbols of the 50 states I'm working on. The book - Geobop's State Symbols - will be finished some time in July or August. I'll have more information about it @ www.kpowbooks.com soon.
Thank you.
David Blomstrom
@David: Thanks you for your polite inquiry. I am increasingly protective of my stuff these days. But if you want to talk about it, you can reach me at the email address on my profile page.
DeleteBeing in Wisconsin, I grow NW Greening from a tree I grafted myself. It is the ultimate cooking apple. Not so great for fresh eating. Supurb for pies and really excels for french apple tarts or for making the fresh classic Apple Tart Tatin. This apple is huge in size and holds its shape when cooked.
ReplyDeleteSadly this apple variety is still only popular in MN and Western WI. Availability is waning as nobody wants to grow an apple variety that is only good for cooking. So sad. NW Greening has a distinctive flavor when made into a pie that I find quite pleasing. For me I rate it as one of the best pie apples.
@Spartan: I have always thought of NWG as a culinary apple (and a pretty good one).
DeleteI wonder if this apple has more potential for fresh use in savory applications than sweet?
ReplyDeleteE.g. with cheese, in a salad, etc.
We make organic sweet cider for sale and our one big Northwest Greening tree produces apples that we stretch out to include 1/2 bushel to 4 or 5 other varieties in the press. Adds a nice bit of 'tart'.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious! Fresh-pressed cider is super sweet, so some tart notes would be welcome.
DeletePlease post information about how to find your cider, if you like, @anonymous
I've just finished pruning our Northwest Greening tree. It was the first time I've pruned it since learning that it is a Northwest Greening and not a Briggs Auburn. John Bunker, apple detective and founder of Fedco Trees, has admitted to making a mistake in the light of other evidence. He sent a specimen to an apple geneticist at the University of Washington, and the DNA revealed the tree he identified decades ago as one was the other. I don't see Briggs Auburn on your list, so now it is a variety you don't need to review – unless you'd like to make your own comparison. Your description of Northwest Greening does match pretty well our apples. They are spherical and be large to very large, but include some mediums as well. The color could be called yellow-green. However, ours are usually more greenish yellow. They are nicely crisp, and not as juicy as many other varieties in our orchard. I'm not as good as you in describing flavors, but they are mild. They are good for fresh eating, but not "very good." (Their "inferior" flavor is what made them controversial all those years ago.) We like them in pies, and especially like them on our cider mixes. The Greenings supply a good flavor base in a similar way that Baldwins do, to which other more exciting varieties can enhance with sweet, spice, and tart.
ReplyDeleteI'm another apple enthusiast who is glad you didn't quit after one year.