England has perhaps the most perfect orchards in the world, and this book is a celebration of the supreme loveliness of the English apple. In 142 sensuously detailed watercolors, Rosie Sanders depicts the unrivaled range of form, color, and texture that characterize such varieties as the Beauty of Bath, the Peasgood Nonsuch, Cox's Orange Pippin, and the Egremont Russet. The apples are shown together with their blossom, twig, and leaf, and a detailed description records their shape, color, aroma, and season, as well as something of the history of each variety. Marginal line drawings of each apple in cross-section and its pip formation complete a comprehensive guide to identification and a source of inspiration for apple growers. Its usefulness is enhanced by a practical essay on apple growing by Harry Baker, fruit officer for many years at the Royal Horticultural Society and one of Britain's foremost authorities on apple growing.

For decades fruit growers have sprayed their trees with toxic chemicals in an attempt to control a range of insect and fungal pests. Yet it is possible to grow apples responsibly, by applying the intuitive knowledge of our great-grandparents with the fruits of modern scientific research and innovation. Since The Apple Grower first appeared in 1998, orchardist Michael Phillips has continued his research with apples, which have been called "organic's final frontier." In this new edition of his widely acclaimed work, Phillips delves even deeper into the mysteries of growing good fruit with minimal inputs. Some of the cutting edge topics he explores include: The use of kaolin clay as an effective strategy against curculio and borers, as well as its limitations; Creating a diverse, healthy orchard ecosystem through under story management of plants, nutrients, and beneficial microorganisms; How to make a small apple business viable by focusing on heritage and regional varieties, value-added products, and the "community orchard" model. The author's personal voice and clear-eyed advice have already made The Apple Grower a classic among small-scale growers and home orchardists. In fact, anyone serious about succeeding with apples needs to have this updated edition on their bookshelf.

Apples leads readers on a beguiling journey through the primal myths of this popular fruit, explaining its origins and showing how this mysterious fruit of the tree of knowledge continues to tempt and delight. Recipes & illustrations.

Beautifully designed and exquisitely photographed, this unique series showcases sensational recipes that exhibit the wonderful versatility of fruits and vegetables, fresh from the garden or greengrocer's basket.

This book provides a comprehensive reference work, summarizing our knowledge of apples and their production worldwide. It includes 24 chapters written by international authorities from the USA, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. The main subjects addressed include taxonomy and production statistics, plant materials, apple physiology, orchard and tree management, crop protection (including organic production), harvesting and handling and utilization. The book will be of significant interest to those working in horticulture and botany.

In this book, the authors present current research in the study of the nutrition, consumption and health effects of apples. Topics discussed in this compilation include the microbiology of apples and apple products and related health hazards; apple pomace as a substrate for industrial and biotechnological applications; non-destructive measurements of the quality parameters of fresh apples; apple polyphenols are their effect of cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes; and apple contamination risks.

American Horticulture Society Award Winner The apple is one of the most iconic fruits, traditionally picked on cool fall days and used in pies, crisps, and ciders. And there is a vast world of varieties that goes beyond the common grocery store offerings of Red Delicious and Granny Smith. With names like American Beauty, Carter's Blue, and Fallawater, and flavors ranging from sweet to tart, this treasure trove of unique apples is ripe for discovery. There is no better guide through this tasty world than Tom Burford, whose family has grown apples in the Blue Ridge Mountains since 1715. The book is brimming with beautiful portraits of heirloom and modern apples of merit, each accompanied by distinguishing characteristics and common uses. As the view broadens to the orchard, you will find information on planting, pruning, grafting, and more. The exploration of the apple culminates with an overview of the fruit's transformative capabilities when pressed, fermented, cooked, or dried. Beyond the polished and predictable grocery store display of Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples, a feast of beautiful and uniquely flavored North American varieties awaits the curious.

In his classic A Geography of Oysters, Rowan Jacobsen forever changed the way America talks about its best bivalve. Now he does the same for our favorite fruit, showing us that there is indeed life beyond Red Delicious-and even Honeycrisp. While supermarkets limit their offerings to a few waxy options, apple trees with lives spanning human generations are producing characterful varieties-and now they are in the midst of a rediscovery. From heirlooms to new designer breeds, a delicious diversity of apples is out there for the eating. Apples have strong personalities, ranging from crabby to wholesome. The Black Oxford apple is actually purple, and looks like a plum. The Knobbed Russet looks like the love child of a toad and a potato. (But don't be fooled by its looks.) The D'Arcy Spice leaves a hint of allspice on the tongue. Cut Hidden Rose open and its inner secret is revealed. With more than 150 art-quality color photographs Apples of Uncommon Character shows us the fruit in all its glory. Jacobsen collected specimens both common and rare from all over North America, selecting 120 to feature, including the best varieties for eating, baking, and hard-cider making. Each is accompanied by a photograph, history, lore, and a list of characteristics. The book also includes 20 recipes, savory and sweet, resources for buying and growing, and a guide to the best apple festivals. It's a must-have for every foodie.

In the tradition of Word Freak and Confederates in the Attic, a charming, witty account of a season in mad pursuit of the world's largest pumpkin. Every year, the race to grow the biggest pumpkin in the world draws a rowdy crowd of obsessive gardeners to county fairs and weigh-offs across the country. The competition is furious; there's sabotage and treachery and the heartbreak of root rot, and many a weigh-off ends in tears. This year more than just the grand prize is at stake. The Holy Grail is within reach: the world's first fifteen-hundred pound pumpkin. And Ron and Dick Wallace will stop at nothing to get it. Backyard Giants follows a tumultuous season in the life of a close-knit tribe of competitors as they chase down the ultimate pumpkin prize. In the grueling and gut-wrenching quest for truly colossal fruit, vacations are postponed, marriages are strained, and savings accounts are emptied. Backyards are converted into leafy laboratories of biogenetics and toxic chemicals--to say nothing of pumpkin sex. Riding shotgun with Ron and his father Dick, Wall Street Journal editor Susan Warren brings to life a winning and unforgettable crew of pumpkin lunatics: the newbie who shocked everyone by growing the big one last year; the pro-bono slime scientist; the groundhog assassin; and the safety trainer who risked electrocuting himself to save his patch. Funny, sharp, and engaging, Backyard Giants is a romp through a charming corner of American life, as quirky and enchanting as the big pumpkins themselves.

Biology of Apples and Pears is a comprehensive reference book on all aspects of pomology at the organ, tree and orchard level. It provides detailed information on propagation, root and shoot growth, root stock effects, canopy development in relation to orchard design, flowering, pollination, fruit set, fruit growth, fruit quality factors and quality retention in store. It also deals with mineral nutrition, water-relations and irrigation, diseases and pests and biotechnology. The book emphasises the scientific basis of modern tree and orchard management and fruit storage. It describes key cultivar differences and their physiology and genetics and environmental effects and cultivar x environment interactions in tropical and sub-tropical as well as temperate zone conditions. It is written for fruit growers, extension workers, plant breeders, biotechnologists and storage and crop protection specialists as well as for researchers and students of pomology and horticulture.

This book is likely to become an immediate classic - a comprehensive world-wide survey of apples. Joan Morgan is probably the only person alive to have tasted and annotated every known apple variety in Britain (and many others), and her scholarship, knowledge and evident love of apples shine through these pages. Beginning with a fascinating history of apple-growing from earliest times, she describes the multiplication of varieties which culminated in the golden age of apples as a dessert fruit in the 19th century. There is a practical section on growing apples and eating them - the characteristics of different varieties, growing, training and pruning, pest protection, serving and cooking. And finally there is a complete annotated directory of the National Apple Collection at Brogdale, the largest of its kind in the world. Also included are useful lists of apple collections throughout the world, and of nurserymen supplying individual varieties. The book is illustrated by 36 magnificent colour paintings by Elizabeth Dowle, specially commissioned for this book, as well as numerous other illustrations in line and halftone.

Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard illuminates the meaning of Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman's life and the environmental and cultural significance of the plant he propagated. Creating a startling new portrait of the eccentric apple tree planter, William Kerrigan carefully dissects the oral tradition of the Appleseed myth and draws upon material from archives and local historical societies across New England and the Midwest. The character of Johnny Appleseed stands apart from other frontier heroes like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, who employed violence against Native Americans and nature to remake the West. His apple trees, nonetheless, were a central part of the agro-ecological revolution at the heart of that transformation. Yet men like Chapman, who planted trees from seed rather than grafting, ultimately came under assault from agricultural reformers who promoted commercial fruit stock and were determined to extend national markets into the West. Over the course of his life John Chapman was transformed from a colporteur of a new ecological world to a curious relic of a pre-market one. Weaving together the stories of the Old World apple in America and the life and myth of John Chapman, Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard casts new light on both.

All around the world, the public’s taste for fermented cider has been growing more rapidly than at any time in the past 150 years. And with the growing interest in locally grown and artisanal foods, many new cideries are springing up all over North America, often started up by passionate amateurs who want to take their cider to the next level as small-scale craft producers. To make the very best cider—whether for yourself, your family, and friends or for market—you first need a deep understanding of the processes involved, and the art and science behind them. Fortunately,The New Cider Maker’s Handbook is here to help. Author Claude Jolicoeur is an internationally known, award-winning cider maker with an inquiring, scientific mind. His book combines the best of traditional knowledge and techniques with up-to-date, scientifically based practices to provide today’s cider makers with all the tools they need to produce high-quality ciders. The New Cider Maker’s Handbook is divided into five parts containing: An accessible overview of the cider making process for beginners; Recommendations for selecting and growing cider-appropriate apples; Information on juice-extraction equipment and directions on how to build your own grater mill and cider press; A discussion of the most important components of apple juice and how these may influence the quality of the cider; An examination of the fermentation process and a description of methods used to produce either dry or naturally sweet cider, still or sparkling cider, and even ice cider. This book will appeal to both serious amateurs and professional cider makers who want to increase their knowledge, as well as to orchardists who want to grow cider apples for local or regional producers. Novices will appreciate the overview of the cider-making process, and, as they develop skills and confidence, the more in-depth technical information will serve as an invaluable reference that will be consulted again and again. This book is sure to become the definitive modern work on cider making. A mechanical engineer by profession, Claude Jolicoeur first developed his passion for apples and cider after acquiring a piece of land on which there were four rows of old abandoned apple trees. He started making cider in 1988 using a “no-compromise” approach, stubbornly searching for the highest possible quality. Since then, his ciders have earned many awards and medals at competitions, including a Best of Show at the prestigious Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP). Claude actively participates in discussions on forums like the Cider Digest, and is regularly invited as a guest speaker to events such as the annual Cider Days festival in western Massachusetts. He lives in Quebec City.

Apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Shepherd’s pie. Chicken potpie. Sweet or savory, pies are beloved; everyone has a favorite. Yet despite its widespread appeal there has never been a book devoted to this humble dish—until now. Janet Clarkson in Pie illustrates how what was once a purely pragmatic dish of thick layers of dough has grown into an esteemed creation of culinary art. There is as much debate about how to perfect the ideal, flaky pastry crust as there is about the very definition of a pie: Must it have a top and bottom crust? Is a pasty a pie? In flavorful detail, Clarkson celebrates the pie in all its variations. She touches pon the pie’s commercial applications, nutritional value, and cultural significance; and she examines its international variations, from Britain’s pork pie and Australia and New Zealand’s endless varieties of meat pie to the Russian kurnik and good old-fashioned American apple pie. This delectable salute to the many pies enjoyed the world over will satisfy the appetites of all readers hungry for culinary history and curious about the many varieties of this delightful food, and it just might inspire them to don aprons and head for the stove.

The objective of this book is to organize and document the technical, analytical, and practical aspects of present-day apple processing. No collected works have been published on processed apple products for more than thirty years. During that time many changes have taken place in the apple-processing industry. There are fewer but larger plants processing apples from larger geographical areas because of advances in transportation and storage of fruit. In addition sophisti­cated technical advances in the processing and packaging of apple products have also occurred. This volume is designed to serve primarily as a reference book for those interested and involved in the processed apple industry. An attempt has been made to provide a central source of historical, currently practical, and theoretical information on apple processing. References have been cited to give credibility and assist those who may wish to read further on a particular subject. If this book success­fully summarizes present knowledge for readers and assists in the continued improvement of commercial fruit processing, I will be pleased. I would like to thank the many people in the apple industry who have requested information and encouraged the writing of this book. The late Dr. Robert M. Smock, Professor Emeritus, Cornell Univer­sity, and coauthor of Apples and Apple Products, originally published in 1950, gave his blessings and encouragement to this undertaking.

Why do so many Americans drive for miles each autumn to buy a vegetable that they are unlikely to eat? While most people around the world eat pumpkin throughout the year, North Americans reserve it for holiday pies and other desserts that celebrate the harvest season and the rural past. They decorate their houses with pumpkins every autumn and welcome Halloween trick-or-treaters with elaborately carved jack-o'-lanterns. Towns hold annual pumpkin festivals featuring giant pumpkins and carving contests, even though few have any historic ties to the crop. In this fascinating cultural and natural history, Cindy Ott tells the story of the pumpkin. Beginning with the myth of the first Thanksgiving, she shows how Americans have used the pumpkin to fulfill their desire to maintain connections to nature and to the family farm of lore, and, ironically, how small farms and rural communities have been revitalized in the process. And while the pumpkin has inspired American myths and traditions, the pumpkin itself has changed because of the ways people have perceived, valued, and used it. Pumpkin is a smart and lively study of the deep meanings hidden in common things and their power to make profound changes in the world around us. Visit the author's website for more information: http://www.pumpkincurioushistory.com/just-another-squash-12000-bce-to-1600.html

The Story of the Apple reveals the solution to a long-standing puzzle. Where did the apple come from, and why is the familiar large, sweet, cultivated apple so different from all other wild apple species with their bitter, cherry-sized fruits? This book will fascinate gardeners who wish to know more about the origin and natural history of the plants that they grow in their yards or orchards, researchers and students in botany and horticulture who want the evidence from DNA, geology, anthropology, archaeology, zoology, and Classical history, and anyone with an interest in diet, well-being, and the benevolent effects of plants on the emergence of humankind.

A baker’s delight, United States of Pie is an utterly charming and mouthwatering compendium of heirloom American pies—regional favorites from East to West and North to South—gathered lovingly together by Adrienne Kane, author of Cooking and Screaming and creator of the popular food blog www.nosheteria.com. From long lost recipes to classic favorites, the irresistible desserts featured in this wonderful cookbook will be pastry nirvana for Mollie Katzen and Moosewood fans—hot and tasty treats sweetly illustrated, combined with  time-tested baking tips and secrets for preparing the perfect pie.

Growers, packers, processors, and distributors of apples who wish to survive into the twenty-first century need to understand that they are now operating in an interconnected world market. The World Apple Market explains in lay terms the economics of the changes taking place in each phase of the apple business and assists firms in weighing decisions on organization, adoption of new technology, distribution systems and other crucial areas, allowing them to adjust operations and refocus their activities for the future. Readers will find the best available data on current industry operations and practices in this book, which is helpful to both established firms and new operators in reviewing their practices. Author A. Desmond O'Rourke describes evolving world apple supply and demand, changing distribution systems, and governmental and other societal pressure to which the industry must respond. Throughout, the book focuses on the economic forces which affect firm and industry profitability and even more specifically, it focuses on how to maintain cost efficiency while maintaining the quality of a perishable product. The World Apple Market explains the economics of practical decision making at every level of the apple industry. This is crucial information for managers of operations that grow, pack, process, and market apples. As changes in market demand, distribution systems, and government regulation continue to alter the environment for decision making, this book assists all involved in the apple market from researchers and extension agents, to industry associations, suppliers, and apple promoters, to government planners, students planning to enter the apple industry, and investors weighing the feasibility of participating in the industry at any level.