Image above from ifood

Whether you associate apples with the biblical symbol for temptation or a penchant for keeping doctors away (if consumed regularly!), apples have a long and storied history in both popular culture and culinary repertoires. And there’s no better time to enjoy these orbs of crisp bliss than right now. The season of the apple is upon us and, accordingly, today’s Small Measures pays homage to the fruit beloved by so many.

Image above from Sunny Cove Farm

Personally, I’ve got apples on the brain big time, as I’m about to process 1 1/2 bushels into tons of small jars of my Cardamom Apple Butter as parting gifts for our “Nugget Warming” next Saturday (our version of a low-fi, eco-friendly baby shower/housewarming). I also plan to pick loads of the fruit off my mom’s gorgeous apple tree, which consistently thrives every September, when I visit her historic farmhouse this weekend. Then there are those three apple trees I’ll be picking up soon (more on this below), one of which I intend to plant in celebration of our little squirmer’s arrival later this season. So, you can see why the apple — which I pine for all year while awaiting its local availability — has swept me off my feet!

Image above from Gardeners Supply Company

Perhaps one of the earliest cultivated trees, the apple originated in western Asia. Today, growers produce millions of tons of the fruit annually, with China yielding the largest number, followed by the United States, Iran, Turkey and Russia. Although there are more than 7,500 apple species in cultivation (yet between 15,000 and 16,000 known and named varieties), precious few of those are grown commercially. In North America alone, 3,000 varieties are available to growers, but many of those are not actively cultivated domestically. In fact, according to heirloom-seed preservation advocate (and personal hero) Gary Nabhan (who I’ve mentioned here before), “four out of five apple varieties unique to North America have been lost from commerce” and “of the remaining fifth of the varieties still available, 81% are now ‘endangered’ in the marketplace, with only 1-3 nurseries offering for sale to growers.”

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ashley’s post after the jump!

Why should we care so much about the varieties of apples available for cultivation and purchase? The answer lies in the apple tree’s ability to sequester large amounts of carbon and the fact that more apple varieties keep the gene pool active and diverse. When you consider that not even one-quarter of the 20 million apple trees grown in the United States around 1900 remain in orchards, gardens and backyards today, the loss of flavor and environmental protection provided by these tasty sentinels is clear.

Image above from Slashfood

So, let’s take back the apple! Autumn isn’t only the ideal time for picking, it’s also prime time for planting these trees. If you’ve got the space for it (or can pair up with an area park, plot of public land, land trust or communal growing space), consider planting an heirloom apple variety suited to your growing climate. Last March, I ordered three cultivars known to thrive in the climate and terrain of western North Carolina (of course, I didn’t know I was pregnant at the time and now that the trees are ready for pick-up, Hubs and I will have to make a 2 1/2-hour trip each way to the NC/Virginia border to fetch them. No bother, the drive will be gorgeous and we’re picking them up from Big Horse Creek Farm at the Ashe County farmers’ market and I love any old excuse to check out a new farmers’ market!). To find out how to plant apple trees, check out these links. To learn more about selecting trees for your area, go here.

Image above from Smitten Kitchen

If you prefer to simply enjoy apples without growing them, why not gather a gaggle of friends or family and head out to an area orchard? Many have picnic areas and some, like my beloved Sky Top, have kids’ play areas, animal petting corrals and farm sheds with picked apples, apple treats (cider donuts! apple cider! apple butter!) and more available for purchase. Of course, you could also pop into your local farmers’ market or grocer and round up fresh specimens to bake with or eat alone. I’m dying to make Deb’s apple cider donuts (I’ve been craving donuts something fierce my entire pregnancy and, travesty that it is, there are no local purveyors of donuts in my area), as well as the apple streusel pictured in my new baking book, Frame by Frame Baking.

What about you? What’s your favorite thing to do with apples? Got a much-loved variety? Do you carve them into shrunken heads, a la Martha? As for me, in addition to planting, chopping, baking and picking apples, I’m trying to decide on a winter apple hat for Nugget from these awesome Etsy sellers. Happy apple season, ya’ll! — Ashley

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