Heirloom Apple Varieties
Baldwin
A handsome, deep red apple originally from Massachusetts in the early 1700s. There is a monument in Wilmington, MA where the original tree grew. This variety was the major New England apple until the 1930s when a terrible freeze killed most of the trees. It is a hard apple, sometimes referred to as the woodpecker, which lends it to storing and transporting well. It has the quintessential apple flavor and back in the day when pie was made for breakfast, it made for a very hearty meal. Baldwin is also prized for cider, imparting a lovely tartness to juice blends. This was the New Englanders’ apple of choice- and is coming back around to that same distinction. Harvest begins in early to mid October.
