Baking & Cooking Favourites

History: Airlie's Red Flesh originated on the farm of Lucky and Audrey Newell in Airlie, Oregon who sold the property in the 1960s. Two decades later in the 1980s, a Louis Kimzey was walking through the old orchard, bit into an apple from the tree, and was amazed at its stunning pink flesh. This was also known as Newell-Kimzey to reference those who found it and Airlie's Red Flesh as a reference to its place of origin and pink flesh. It also goes under a separate brand name. 

Why We Grow It: This small, slightly conical apple has yellow skin that belies a bright pink interior that whitens near the core. Not only is it pretty, the fruit has a very sweet flavour with some mild astringency and the flesh is slow to brown. Along with the attractive fruit, the tree boasts bright pink blossoms that gives it an extra ornamental appeal.

History: A chance seedling discovered in the 1980s in BC, this tender, aromatic, honeyed apple has been a hit ever since! 

Why We Grow It: This delicious apple is very popular in the fresh eating market in Canada, thanks to its attractive bi-colour skin and slow browning qualities. It produces a medium-large fruit and is a good cropper.

Species: Apio americana

History: American Groundnut (aka hopniss, potato bean, and hodoimo) is a native vine found from southern Canada down to Florida and west to Colorado. They are an important traditional food amongst indigenous peoples within its range and were introduced to European colonizers by these peoples. American Groundnuts failed to take off as a crop in Europe or colonized North America, although there have been efforts since the late 1900s to develop and promote cultivars in the US. Curiously, the only place where American Groundnuts are an important commercial crop is in Japan where it has become an important part of the Aomori Prefecture culinary scene following its introduction during the Meiji Period.

Why We Grow It: Although American Groundnuts have failed to gain much traction in the West, they are a great addition to the garden whether you are looking for a unique edible perennial or an ornamental plant. The shoots and seed pods are edible but American Groundnut is best known for the small tubers that grow in a bead-like manner along the roots. They are relatively small and taste similar to a potato but with more nuttiness. Like a potato, they can be used in a variety of ways! The unique burgundy flowers also make them appealing ornamentally. Just keep in mind that these vines can be quite vigorous and will spread!

Species: Corylus americana

History: American hazelnuts are native to eastern and central Canada and the US. The nuts are an important food source to many animals and as such the shrubs are most often cultivated for planting in native and wildlife gardens. Indigenous peoples also use the shrub for medicinal purposes.

Why We Grow It:  This thicket forming native shrub produces nutritious hazelnuts and fodder for animals. It is an excellent species to incorporate into a pasture/grazing system.

Species: Diospyros virginiana

History: Native to the southeastern and central areas of the United States, American Persimmon has had a long history of cultivation. The word 'persimmon' is an Anglicized version of the words 'putchamin,' 'pasiminan,' or 'pessamin,' which all mean 'dried fruit' in various Algonquin dialects, reflecting the fruits' usage. It is also common in southern states to trick the unwary into eating the unripe fruit which has an incredibly astringent flavour. Other historical uses for the American Persimmon include turning the seeds into buttons during the American Civil War and using the wood to make items such as pool cues and golf clubs.

Why We Grow It: This unique fruit tree produces a succulently sweet orange fruit that must be extremely ripe before you can eat it. Although it ripens in the summer, the fruit can withstand freezing and hang onto the tree until December. The fruit can be used to make a variety of sweet and savoury dishes and are also very popular among wildlife. Steph has found them great for baking into sweets such as tarts or the pecan and persimmon cookies pictured here!

Pictured is a cookie made with our own American persimmons and pecans!

Species: Prunus americana

History: American plums are native from Saskatchewan to Quebec and down to Florida. They are a food source for many species. Indigenous peoples living in the tree's range have planted stands of them. The Cheyenne use the branches in the Sun Dance and the Navajo use the roots to produce a red dye. American plums have also been planted as ornamental plants, windbreaks, and for erosion control.

Why We Grow It: American plums produce small, firm, red plums that are sweet and tangy. They are good for fresh eating but shine when used in jellies and preserves. These cold hardy, adaptable trees produce a profusion of lovely white blooms which are great for pollinating hybrid plum varieties. They sucker heavily and produce thick stands, making them excellent for windbreaks and erosion control.

Species: Actinidia arguta

History: Anna (aka Ananasnaya or Michurin's Pineapple) was created by Soviet plant breeder I.V. Michurin likely in the late 1800s or early 1900s. He created Anna, along with many other varieties, with the goal of breeding high-yielding plants of better quality that are more cold hardy. The flavour is reminiscent of pineapple so he named it Ananasnaya after the genus Ananas (which includes pineapples) and 'naya', a feminine suffix in Russian. Shortened to 'Anna' in North America, this variety remains commercially popular for its easy growth and propagation and reliable crops. 

Why We Grow It: Anna produces kiwis with a distinct red blush (with enough sun exposure) that are sweet with a little tartness. The flavour is tropical with hints of pineapple and citrus. These vigorous vines require a trellis or other support to climb across. Make sure you have a suitable support in place, a mature plant can produce over 50lb of fruit in one season!

Species: Rubus sp.

History: Anne is the product of quite the combined efforts between the University of Maryland, Rutgers University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Education Center, and University of Wisconsin. Through their cooperative breeding program, the cross that created Anne was originally made in 1989 and the variety was released in the 1990s. It remains one of the more popular yellow raspberries today. 

Why We Grow It: Anne produces large, firm raspberries that are quite sweet with a flavour some liken to apricots or bananas. Most uniquely: the berries are yellow, turning a warm orangey-yellow at their ripest! The berries are good for eating fresh, baking, freezing, or adding to salads and their yellow colour helps them to stand out. This is an everbearing variety so you can cut down the canes in the winter for a large fall crop, or enjoy a more spread out crop from August to September. Anne also sports relatively few thorns, making harvesting a little easier. 

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: Arkansas Black originated, as its name implies, in Arkansas sometime in the mid to late 1800s although there are conflicting opinions on who exactly discovered it. Some say John Crawford developed it in the 1840s, others believe DeKalb Holt developed it at his brother's nursery in the 1870s, and another account claims John Braithwaite found it growing in his orchard. Regardless, this unique looking apple eventually became the most popular apple in the state until a bad codling moth infestation followed by the Great Depression devastated commercial orchards. Despite this heavy blow, it is still a popular apple in backyards and small-scale orchards.

Why We Grow It: Arkansas Black produces a unique fruit that is a dark purplish-red that at times almost looks black. Fresh off the tree the fruit is hard and fairly acidic, but it softens and sweetens in storage and develops a more pronounced spiced flavour. It is good for pies, sauce, and cider and the fruit stores quite well! The tree itself is fairly disease resistant as well.

History: This unique apple, orangey-yellow-red undertones with russet over top, originated in the UK in the 1700s and has remained popular for over two centuries. There is some debate whether it was raised by a Dr. Ashmead or a lawyer named William Ashmead. 

Why We Grow It: This Old World English apple has stuck with us thanks to it's unique flavour: nutty with notes of pear and spice. Fantastic fresh off the tree, and also in cider blends, Ashmead's Kernel mixes well with Cox's Orange Pippin.

History: Athos was developed by the University of Saskatchewan and was first bred in 1992 as a cross between Kerr's Easy Pick and Cacanski Rubin. It was selected from among 2500 seedlings for its productivity, winter hardiness, extent of suckering, ease of fruit removal, and fruit quality. Part of the Musketeer Series, Athos was released in 2022 as part of the university's 100 Years of Horticulture Celebrations. 

Why We Grow It: Athos produces burgundy red cherries that have a more balanced sweet/tart flavour compared to some of the other sour cherries. This makes them more desirable for fresh eating but they are still good for typical sour cherry uses like baking. The bush has more of a spreading growth habit which gives it some additional visual appeal as an ornamental plant. 

Check our our blog post with some tasty sour cherry recipes!

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Aurora haskap was developed at the University of Saskatchewan. After a decade of breeding and trials, it was released in 2012. It was originally selected as a pollinator for Borealis haskap but its superior flavour and greater productivity compared to other varieties quickly made it more popular.

Why We Grow It: A sweetly flavoured favourite! Aurora tastes like a cross between a raspberry and a blueberry, with a satisfying chewy texture. The deep blue fruit are 3 cm long and juicy. Allow to sit out a few days after picking for optimally sweet fruit.

History: This classic American cooking apple was discovered by chance around 1740 in Massachusetts. It was eventually brought to the attention of a Col. Baldwin, after whom the variety was later named, who helped to spread it further. By 1850 this was one of the most commonly grown apples in the US, although its popularity began to decline by the 1900s, exacerbated by a terrible winter in 1934 that wiped out a significant number of trees. Despite this, Baldwin is making a bit of a comeback and a monument to this apple still stands in Wilmington, Massachusetts, around where it was discovered.

Why We Grow It: Baldwin apples produce large, greenish-yellow and maroon fruit with firm, sweet flesh that maintains its shape and crispness when cooked. The fruit produced in our test orchard has been attractive and blemish-free.

History: This cold-hardy apple was developed in the prairies and is for growing in colder, northern areas.

Why We Grow It: This unique apple produces a yellow fruit with red stripes. It is a rather uncommon variety and is great for sauce. It has begun producing reliably in our test orchard the last few years, and always has a bountiful crop.

Species: Helianthus tuberosus, Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes or J Chokes

History: Beaver Valley Purple was introduced by heirloom vegetable gardener William Woys Weaver in the latter half of the 1900s. When he visited Sarah Morgan, a cook and gardener, at her home in Beaver Valley, Pennsylvania, she showed him the unique purple sunchokes growing in her garden. According to Morgan, the purple sunchokes had been growing on the property when her husband purchased it in 1920 and locals already considered it an heirloom variety at that time. Weaver, a fan of heritage vegetables, named the variety and began to offer it through the Seed Savers Exchange. 

Why We Grow It: Beaver Valley Purple produces a unique reddish-purple tuber that is visually quite distinct from other sunchokes. Sunchokes, similar to a potato, can be prepared and eaten in a variety of ways!

History: This apple was discovered as a chance seedling in 1856 in Boskoop, Netherlands where it has remained popular ever since. 

Why We Grow It: Here's one for those of us who love some sharpness in an apple. With its sharp taste and large, greenish-red fruit, this apple is still popular at farmer's markets throughout Europe for both fresh eating and cooking (keeps its shape). It has value as a sharp in hard cider blends as well.

History: Once one of the most popular commercial apples in the United States, Ben Davis apple trees were planted across the continent following its discovery around 1800. Due to its firm fruit and excellent keeping qualities, this apple was extremely easy to transport over longer distances which led to its popularity. Once storage and transportation improved, this apple was slowly replaced with better tasting varieties and it is now a relatively rare find. It's also a parent to Cortland.

Why We Grow It: The mellow, sub-acidic, mildly aromatic red fruit is not quite as flavourful as some apples but it stores exceptionally well, lasting into spring. Flavour improves in storage, like many heritage apples. The trees are reliable and heavy croppers, earning them the nickname of 'mortgage-lifters' when they were grown commercially. 

History: Beurré Giffard was discovered as a chance seedling by Nicolas Giffard in 1825 in France. "Beurré" translates from French as "butter-like," referring to the smooth, juicy flesh that was typical of pears developed at this time in France and Belgium. It was later introduced to the United States in 1850. 

Why We Grow It: This French heirloom pear is one of the earliest ripening pears we offer. Its sweet, melting yet crisp flesh is similar to Bartlett with an excellent flavour.

History: Big Red was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan. It was one of several varieties an American company further evaluated in the US and selected as the best amongst them. Chosen for its notable cold hardiness, large size, and unique shape along with its good flavour, Big Red is sold under the name Wowza! in the US. The variety is still considered experimental since the original tree was accidentally destroyed prematurely.

Why We Grow It: Along with having good flavour, Big Red is most notable for its large size: the fruit can be twice as big as other dwarf sour cherries! The fruit is also uniquely elongated with a lobed end, giving it an appearance akin to Red Delicious apples. In trials at the University of Saskatchewan, the variety suffered no winterkill so it appears to be extremely cold hardy even in comparison to other dwarf sour cherries. The only downside to this variety is that it has lower yields than other varieties, perhaps as a tradeoff for its other traits.

Check our our blog post with some tasty sour cherry recipes!

Species: Robinia pseudoacacia

History: Native to small portion of the United States, the tree first became known to Western science in 1607 when British colonists in Jamestown used it to build houses. It was introduced to Britain in 1636 and has since been used as a landscaping tree in many countries around the world. It is unfortunately considered invasive in many places due to its intense suckering habit and ability to fix nitrogen, allowing it to thrive even in poor soils. However, its hard wood has many uses and the flowers are eaten in numerous European countries and Japan, and it is used medicinally in India.

Why We Grow It: While this tree is considered invasive to southern Ontario as it grows quickly and aggressively, we feel when it is grown with control and awareness, it can be a powerful ally for the following reasons:

• it is a great pioneer species in ecologically disturbed spaces thanks to its resilience and ability to grow and produce nitrogen
• even in poor soil it provides erosion control with its spreading, shallow root system
• it's a fast growing hardwood
• it is preferred for firewood and furniture (60x more rot resistant than cedar)
• bees appreciate it's showy blooms, which are edible and can be enjoyed in salads, jams, cooking and baking, check out Fiddlehead Nursery's locust-flower patty recipe! 
• On a farm/tended space, they provide valuable shade for livestock, thicken fencerows, provide habitat for wildlife, increase soil health, and add nitrogen, etc. and are easily managed.

However it is strongly advised not to plant in untended bushland due to its quick and aggressive spread, and resilience once it is established in an area making it quite difficult to remove.

Species: Juglans nigra or hybrid. Our seeds are collected from trees that may have been cross-pollinated by closely related species so the resulting seedlings may be hybrids. 

History: Native to much of the eastern and central United States and southern Ontario, Black Walnut has long been used as a source of food, dye, lovely dark wood, and as an ornamental tree. Although it is said to have a better flavour than the English walnut, the Black walnut remains less popular due to the increased difficulty of harvesting the nut meat from within the husk. Black walnut is also infamous for being allelopathic, meaning it secretes toxic chemicals (juglones) into the soil to reduce plant competition. 

Why We Grow It: Black walnut is a beautiful tree that produces nuts with a stronger flavour than that of English walnuts. The sap can be boiled to make walnut syrup, which tastes very similar to maple syrup but with notes of caramel and butterscotch. Also, the husks can be used in brewing beer! 

Be mindful of the juglones in the in the roots/nut husks, they are toxic to many other species. They require a buffer of about 50'/30m from the edge of the trees canopy for juglone-sensitive plants. This article from The Garden Hoe has a helpful list of plants that tolerate juglones. However there are recent (2019) studies showing healthy soil high in organic matter and mycorrhizal fungi actually reduce the toxicity of juglones suggesting many plants can grow below juglans species in a healthy ecosystem - it will be interesting to see more study done in this area! 

History: Blakeney Red (aka Circus pear, Red pear, and Painted Lady) is believed to have originated in the English village of Blakeney, its birthplace and the prominent red blush on the fruit earning it its name. It may have been originally planted sometime in the 1700s but became better known starting around 1830 and was the most widely planted perry pear. It is still popular in the UK today and is gaining attention in North America as well. A yellow dye can also be made from this variety and it was used to dye khakis for British soldiers during WW1. 

Why We Grow It: This perry pear produces small to medium yellow fruit with red blush and some russet. For those interested in perry, it's hard to ignore this variety's long history, although its quality can vary based on growing conditions. 

History: The history of Blenheim Orange is a bit muddled depending on your source. We know it was discovered by George Kempster (either a baker, a tailor, or a basket weaver depending on who you ask!) in England in 1740 and it was originally named Kempster's Pippin. Some say he found it as a seedling growing along a wall of Blenheim Palace while others claim he grew it in his garden located near Blenheim, England. It was later renamed to Blenheim Orange in the early 1800s, likely when it was sold commercially through nurseries. This variety has many other names, including: Beauty of Dumbleton, Blooming Orange, and Northwitch Blenheim. The tree itself is also known for its sturdy wood and it was at one time popularly used to make railway cogs.

Why We Grow It: These large, somewhat flat apples feature orangey-red stripes over yellow skin with some russet. The fruit is good for fresh eating with a nutty taste and is quite nice when paired with cheese. It is also great for cooking and makes a stiff purée. The tree is highly vigorous but can be slow to come into production, although it has heavy crops once it does.

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Blue Banana was developed by Lidia Stuart of Berries Unlimited, potentially bred from Russian varieties or a cross between Russian and Japanese varieties. The variety is named for the unique shape of the berries and was likely selected for their large size and sweet flavour.

Why We Grow It: Blue Banana is exceptionally sweet compared to other haskap varieties and the flavour has been described as 'smoked strawberry.' These large, sweet berries are good for fresh eating along with cooking, baking, preserving, etc! The bush itself grows quickly and is relatively disease resistant.

Species: Vaccinium corymbosum

History: Blueray higbush blueberry was introduced in 1941, although there is little other information on its origins. It may have originated in New Jersey where blueberry cultivation began.

Why We Grow It: Blueray produces an abundant crop of very large berries with good flavour. This cold hardy variety is great for home growers! Blueberries are great for baking, for example Steph made some wonderful black currant and blueberry tarts that are pictured here!

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Beast was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan as part of the Boreal series of haskaps. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. Boreal Beast was rated very highly for flavour in the breeding program. Named after Beauty and the Beast, Boreal Beast was intended to be the pollination partner for Boreal Beauty but in practice it has been found that their pollination times don't quite overlap.

Why We Grow It: Boreal Beast is noted for its excellent flavour with a great aroma and pleasant aftertaste. The shrub itself is quite vigorous and sturdy, and produces good-sized crops of delicious medium-sized berries.

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Beauty haskap is part of the Boreal series of haskaps developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. Boreal Beauty was released in early 2017, chosen for its large size, firmness, and good flavour. Its name, a reference to Beauty and the Beast, was meant to be a handy way to remember that Boreal Beast is the recommended for pollination partner for this variety, but in practice unfortunately the two don't overlap quite enough for pollination to be optimal.

Why We Grow It: Boreal Beauty sports large berries that are more oval-shaped and firm than other haskaps while maintaining with good flavour. This variety could show promise for mechanical harvesting. It is also quite vigorous and produces heavy crops. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Blizzard was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan as part of the Boreal series of haskaps. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. While Boreal Blizzard is only a cross between Russian and Japanese varieties, it has produced some of the largest berries the breeding program has seen while boasting good flavour!

Why We Grow It: Boreal Blizzard produces exceptionally large berries that are meaty and sweet. This heavy cropper is ideal for U-pick operations and small farms where the larger berries make them more suitable for hand-picking. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Borealis was created by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan and was released in 2007, likely being selected for its large fruit, good flavour, and resistance to powdery mildew. 

Why We Grow It: Borealis produces large, round berries with an excellent flavour, albeit less sweet than more modern haskap varieties. The berries are excellent for baking although they are a bit softer and need to be handled more delicately when being picked. The bush itself is a little more compact than other varieties and is very resistant to powdery mildew.