good cider apples

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sashurlow

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So I have planted some cider apples for my habit. So far I have a Roxbury Russett, a golden russett, two Calville Blancs (a replacement and one that is almost dead), a mystery apple grown from seed, a golden sentinel and northpole, all from Miller's. (also a wild crab, and a decorative crab, another crab is down the road and not in somebody's yard). None are bearing yet.
What are good cider apples and where do you buy them? I have room for one or two more.
Scott
 
I haven't done a pressed batch yet, I decided to hold off until next season (I've already got a lot of information to digest). But, out of the research I've done for when I do dive in, I've found a couple very informative resources.

These are all from the same site, which is extremely helpful in its entirety, but these links are more specific to what you're requesting:

http://www.cider.org.uk/part2.htm - This includes some repeat information from the second link (regarding vintage quality cider apples), but has a lot of additional information about cider apple tree management.
http://www.cider.org.uk/appledat.htm - A very inclusive list of cider apple varieties as well as their cider making-relevant characteristics.
http://www.cider.org.uk/identification_of_cider_apples.pdf - Possibly helpful in identifying the unknown varieties that you already have.
 
If your looking for english cider apples that is a whole 'nother bag.

I can't speak from experience with these, but here are the English varities I am putting in next spring:

1. Kingston black
2. Yarlington mills
3. Bulmers Norman
4. Coxs Orange Pippin
5. Golden Hornet
6. Roxbury russet

Check out cummins nursery in ithaca, Ny - they have all the cider apples and usually will get you some, even if they are all sold out from big orders. Be sure to call or write an email - they are sold out of a lot of the heirloom varieties, but sometimes they can get you a couple.

http://www.cumminsnursery.com/cidervar.htm
 
So I got one Kingston Black from Raintree out of the Pac NW. It seemed to be a classic cider apple, even though it seems to have low yield. Considering how hard it was to get my wife to let me buy it, this is the last apple I will get to plant. Of course this will be the 11th tree on a .5 acre lot. She might have a point...
 
Haha - good for you sashurlow - better to have too many trees on your property than too few :)

I have read that KB have low yields and are spotty producers. I bought 4 to try them out since I heard they were sporadic producers.
 
Yarlington Mill, Dabinett, Harry Masters Jersey are bittersweets which tend to get a high pH. Kingston black is a bittersharp with lower pH. These bitter apples need blending with low tannin, high acidity apples. Sweet Alford is a good sweet variety for blending but russet apples are also said to be good for cider, useful for blending. You may find that some English varieties don't perform so well for you if your climate is very cold. Kingston Black is said to do well in warm dry climates but not so well in cold wet climates. Yarlington mill and dabinett may be better for cold places.
 
sashurlow said:
So I got one Kingston Black from Raintree out of the Pac NW. It seemed to be a classic cider apple, even though it seems to have low yield. Considering how hard it was to get my wife to let me buy it, this is the last apple I will get to plant. Of course this will be the 11th tree on a .5 acre lot. She might have a point...
Click to expand...

Here's a link you may find useful, or at least interesting & encouraging: http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/farnum-hill-ciders/the-ciders/farnum-hill-kingston-black/
Regards, GF.
 
One suggestion... and it sounds dumb.... Make sure your cider apple choices come due around the time you want to be making cider, and mostly at the same time as eachother.... or you will be freezing a whole lot of apples.... or making single-variety ciders and blending them later on.... It also makes pollination go better when they are flowering at the same time...

Some of the early season apples come off in August and September - but there is such a huge flurry of activity around that time with the end of the gardening season and picking everything else that needs picking.... putting the yard to bed for the winter, etc.... There are a bunch of crabs that come due in Early September... Not exactly prime cider making season for me....

Personally, I like the apples that you can either leave on the tree or pick and store in the cellar until you are ready to press them.... rather than the ones that have to be picked and then milled within a few days... January is a great cider making time of year... and the apples that still hang on the tree are usually sugared up pretty nicely by now...

Thanks

John
 
truckjohn said:
One suggestion... and it sounds dumb.... Make sure your cider apple choices come due around the time you want to be making cider, and mostly at the same time as eachother.... or you will be freezing a whole lot of apples.... or making single-variety ciders and blending them later on.... It also makes pollination go better when they are flowering at the same time...

Some of the early season apples come off in August and September - but there is such a huge flurry of activity around that time with the end of the gardening season and picking everything else that needs picking.... putting the yard to bed for the winter, etc.... There are a bunch of crabs that come due in Early September... Not exactly prime cider making season for me....

Personally, I like the apples that you can either leave on the tree or pick and store in the cellar until you are ready to press them.... rather than the ones that have to be picked and then milled within a few days... January is a great cider making time of year... and the apples that still hang on the tree are usually sugared up pretty nicely by now...

Thanks

John
Click to expand...

I agree - usually late season (cold hearty) apples are the best for cider making.
 

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