apple qty discount

History: Chisel Jersey is believed to have originated in Martock, England in the 1800s. It spread little outside the immediate area for about a century but during the mid-1900s this apple became quite popular in commercial cider orchards. It has, however, lost some of that renown today despite being an excellent cider apple.

Why We Grow It: With small, green fruit featuring a striped red flush, this bittersweet cider apple is highly recommended in England as well as in Canada. It is high in tannins and sugars but low in malic acid and makes a great cider apple.

History: Brown Snout was discovered on a farm in the UK in the mid-1800s. Its name comes from the brown russet around its calyx. H.P. Bulmer, a cider-making company, further propagated and spread this apple in the UK where it is still used today.

Why We Grow It: This medium bittersweet cider apple has small, uniquely coloured fruit that are sweet, slightly astringent, medium-tannin, and have low acidity. 

History: Discovered in New Zealand by farmer O. Moran in 1952, Braeburn took the world by a storm, becoming one of the most popular commercial apples in the United States and parenting many modern cultivars such as Jazz and Sweetie. 

Why We Grow It: Its winning sweet-tart flavour wrapped in an attractive orangey-red skin makes it an excellent fresh eating apple. It is firm and holds its shape well when cooked, and keeps about 4 months. This variety is fairly disease susceptible, meaning it is better for the experienced natural grower or conventional orchards. It is moderately vigorous and a heavy cropper.

History: Haralson apples were developed at the University of Minnesota in 1922 and named after Charles Haralson who was superintendent of the university's fruit breeding farm. It is one of almost 30 apple varieties the university has developed in its breeding program since it began in 1888.

Why We Grow It: The skin of this variety is striped red with russet dots and the flesh is white, juicy, and of pleasant albeit mild flavour. Haralson boasts excellent cold hardiness and general disease resistance.

History: A traditional French cider apple grown in Normandy, it is one of the varieties approved by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for use in cider production in the region.

Why We Grow It: This apple produces an aromatic, bittersweet juice that can be used in cider and apple brandy. Although it only bears fruit every other year, it produces a considerable crop in a single season. It is also a great pollinator for other varieties due to its long blooming time.

History: Michelin was raised by a French nurseryman in Normandy where it first bore fruit in 1872. It was named after pomologist Henri Michelin who studied cider varieties. In 1884 the Woolhope Field Naturalist's Club brought Michelin along with Medaille d'Or back to England where it became one of the most commonly planted cider varieties by the 1900s. 

Why We Grow It: These juicy apples produce good quantities of bittersweet juice that make a nice addition to cider blends. The trees start producing fruit at a young age and have large, reliable crops. They have preformed well in recent studies at the Vineland Research station in our Canadian growing conditions. 

For the most up-to-date information see Claude Jolicoeur's website here!

History: Douce de Charlevoix (translated from French as 'sweet Charlevoix') was discovered by Claude Jolicoeur in a Quebecois village in the county of Charlevoix in the 1990s. He has since dubbed it a 'first class early cider apple' and in 2015 a cider blend using 40% Douce de Charlevoix won a bronze medal at the GLINTCAP competition. 

Why We Grow It: This apple is quite attractive with orange-red stripes across green skin and makes an excellent juice with a notable bitter taste. In general this apple has medium tannins, some sweetness, and very little acidity. The tree itself is also quite vigorous and hardy.

History: Antonovka was discovered near Kursk, Russia in 1826 and then developed by renowned Russian plant breeder I.V. Michurin. It was released in 1888 and became a popular variety in Russia, Poland, and Belarus due to its good flavour and quality for cooking/baking. In Russia, Antonovka was given the name 'The People's Apple' and in 2008 a monument to it was unveiled in Kursk. Although this hardy variety is less popular outside of its homeland, it has been commonly used as rootstock due to its ability to grow a strong, deep root system that makes it hardier and more drought tolerant. 

Why We Grow It: This tree produces a refreshing, juicy, tart yellow apple that cooks down well. It is also quite cold hardy which is a great feature in our Canadian environment.

History: Maiden's Blush was first described in New Jersey in 1817 although it had already been popular in Philadelphia markets for some time. It likely originated around New Jersey in the late 1700s. Maiden's Blush continued to be commonly grown in the southern US through the early 1800s. 

Why We Grow It: Maiden's Blush's uniqueness is still worthy of attention today, its flavour being an interesting mix of citrus-like acidity and sweetness that stand out among other apples. While it is good for fresh eating, particularly after a few weeks off the tree, it is most well known for cooking, baking, and drying due to its non-browning qualities.

History: Elstar apples were developed in the Netherlands in the 1950s and are a cross between Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie. This excellent combination has created what is considered one of the best Golden Delicious offspring. Fittingly, it has since become quite popular in continental Europe. Despite being introduced to the US in 1972, it has not attained the same level of popularity in North America.

Why We Grow It: Elstar is a flavourful variety, fine for fresh eating or sauce with its crisp, juicy flesh; very little acidity. The skin is distinctive, sporting a orangey-red marbled appearance.

History: The exact origin of Ellis Bitter is unknown but it is believed to have originated on the farm of a Mr. Ellis in the 1800s in England. It was planted commercially, particularly by growers under contract with the cider-making company H.P. Bulmer. Unlike some older cider varieties, Ellis Bitter still remains relatively common today. 

Why We Grow It: Ellis Bitter is an old English cider apple, with good disease resistance, vigour, and production. This variety produces a high quality medium-bittersweet juice with soft, astringent tannins that are suited for blends. It is notable for its early ripening time compared to many cider apples, and therefore adds nicely to an orchard to extend the season. This cultivar has produced very well in the Ontario climate according to trials at the Vineland Research Station.

History: Sweet Coppin originated in Devon, England, in the early 1700s. It was grow on a relatively large scale in the 1800s before its popularity waned, although it has since made a comeback and is grown around the world. 

Why We Grow It: While this old English cider apple has a very good but mild flavour that is suitable for fresh eating, it is most well known for its cider qualities. It produces a full sweet cider of vintage quality

History: This English cider apple originated in and was named after Rodney Stoke, a small village in Somerset, England. It was discovered around 1920 and has been popular in England since. 

Why We Grow It: Stoke Red produces a great bittersharp juice that is well-regarded for cider making. As an added bonus, it is a heavy cropper and resistant to scab.

History: Parkland apples were variety created at the Morden Research and Development Centre in Manitoba and released in 1979. Like other varieties developed there, Parkland was designed to withstand the harsh prairie winters and is especially cold hardy. It has become the most commonly grown apple in Alaska after it was brought over in 1985 in an effort to determine which Canadian varieties could survive in the northern state.

Why We Grow It: Parkland is a very satisfying early season apple - sweet and crunchy. It's excellent snacking or applesauce although the fruit is small (about 2" diameter) with creamy flesh and red skin. The tree is quite hardy. 

History: Tremlett's Geneva Bitter (aka Geneva Tremlett's Bitter) come from a tree that was believed to be Tremlett's Bitter, an English cider variety. It was imported to Geneva, New York from England in the 1960s but at some point there was a mix-up and the mistake was only uncovered after many American growers had received scions from the erroneous tree.

Why We Grow It: Although this isn't the traditional bittersweet cider apple popular in England, Tremlett's Geneva Bitter still produces a good quality bittershap cider. Some say it is even better than the original!