I have planted the Trees.

Well, I have a Dolgo on seedling rootstock that bears profusely. And I have a Golden Russet on seedling that should come into bearing this year. Then three Yarlington Mill trees and a handful of others.

Also 12 (!) pear trees. They may not be hardy in my climate. This winter will tell, since it was down to -24.

This summer may be the first real crop.

Oh how I wish I lived in the fruit belt. Weather might be a little too cold for good fruit production where I am. What fun to look forward to. Best of luck!

Cool. In the future I hope to get some bittersharps planted. Fruit trees are indeed awesome.

I'm hoping for some decent crops this year myself, 5 apple & 2 cherry trees. Got all of 14 cherries off one tree last year, all Bings. It is a five-way graft, but each year, only one type has produced. Since this will be year four, there should finally be some good growth. None of the peach or pear trees made it. There's an old apple tree as well, but the fruit is tasteless and mealy.

When I planted my apple orchard, I hadn't considered using the fruit in cider so most of my trees were Red and Golden delicious, Granny Smiths, and a handful of crab apples on the periphery to ensure good pollination.

I also have some peach trees, apricots, paw paw, persimmon, and cherry bush hedges of several varieties. Also a finely developing patch of strawberries, blackberries and a handful of grape vines.

Would be curious to introduce all of these to some yeast I know.

david_42 said:

There's an old apple tree as well, but the fruit is tasteless and mealy.

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Well, you can always brew them.

Granny Smiths make great cider. Just finished a 6-pack of Newton's Folly from Vermont.

david_42 said:

Granny Smiths make great cider. Just finished a 6-pack of Newton's Folly from Vermont.

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That's great because some of the apples discussed here are apples I have never heard of. I have another variety, but I do not recall the type but they are a baking apple that is rather tart. I have noticed that the blending of apples seems the way most folks go.

When I get more proficient at this, I would really like to try a tart apple / paw paw blend as paw paw has a kind of banana flavor and when well ripe is the consistence of a grape with a fair amount of water and sugar.

Thanks for the heads up on the Granny Smiths.

My parents had an old apple tree that produced loads of fruit this last fall, so i decided to try to produce some apple cider. Doing so without a press and fruit crusher turned out to be a very tedious and time consuming process. I ended up making about 3 qt to drink before giving up and deciding $5 a gallon for locally produced cider was cheap.

However I am still dreaming about making my own cider so I will probably plant some trees at my parents farm this spring and try to save up for the crusher and press.

I did plant on our small urban lot:
A sour cherry tree
3 elderberry bushes
A few strawberry plants
A red and black raspberry plant
3 blueberry bushes
a couple gooseberry and currant plants

We will see which ones perform best over the next couple years and try to replace some more landscaping with the most successful ones. I am somewhat of a lazy gardener so plants that prosper with little care work much better for me.

Craig

The cider-specific varieties have higher tannin content and higher acid content. Fedco Trees sells them, as does Cummins Nursery.

Cider without sufficient tannin is like beer without hops. Or so I'm told.

Cydermon said:

When I planted my apple orchard, I hadn't considered using the fruit in cider so most of my trees were Red and Golden delicious, Granny Smiths, and a handful of crab apples on the periphery to ensure good pollination.

I also have some peach trees, apricots, paw paw, persimmon, and cherry bush hedges of several varieties. Also a finely developing patch of strawberries, blackberries and a handful of grape vines.

Would be curious to introduce all of these to some yeast I know.

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I planted some Paw Paws this past year (along with a bunch of other stuff). Can't wait for them! As to the Cider, all you'd need really is some bittersharps to blend with the sweet apples really.

zoebisch01 said:

I planted some Paw Paws this past year (along with a bunch of other stuff). Can't wait for them! As to the Cider, all you'd need really is some bittersharps to blend with the sweet apples really.

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I have having a conversation last night about how a paw paw based cider/wine would taste and can't wait to give a try. My paw paw are about 2 years from bearing fruit and won't really fruit well for another 2 after that. I imagine it would make for a very interesting drink and would also lend itself to mixing with apples.

zoebisch01 said:

I planted some Paw Paws this past year (along with a bunch of other stuff). Can't wait for them! As to the Cider, all you'd need really is some bittersharps to blend with the sweet apples really.

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I got a line on 15lbs of frozen paw paw's from a friend of mine that was going to make preserves but didn't get around to it so they offered them as a sacrifice for the primary. While I do want to try a batch of just paw paw wine, I think they would make an excellent addition to cider as the banana like paw paw flavor seems it would lend itself well to cider. Anyone ever tired paw paw in their cider?

Is paw paw the same thing as papaya? That is what they call it in the Carribean but I haven't heard that term here in the States.

Mr. Nice Guy said:

Is paw paw the same thing as papaya? That is what they call it in the Carribean but I haven't heard that term here in the States.

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Nope.
Pawpaw is a temperate climate tree. I'm not that familiar with it but it is native to the midwest. The fruits are said to taste like custard or banana. Papaya is a tropical tree. I believe unrelated.

Craig

The paw paw is Ohio's only native fruit. I worked for a pawpaw farmer for a summer and it was an awesome experience! the tree has so many uses from cancer drugs to pest repellent. the fruits taste like a banana apple with ginormous seeds.

jimba009 said:

The paw paw is Ohio's only native fruit.

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How do you figure?
Strawberries, black raspberries, elderberries, persimmon, mulberry to name a few.
Although the pawpaw is the official "Native State Fruit of Ohio".

Craig

they did not originate in ohio, transplants i guess. at least that is what the pawpaw guru told me. i asked about some of those specifically and his response is that they where brought in. i thought the tomato came from ohio to, be he has a pretty stong opinion on it. that was about 8 years ago when i worked for him, so i might be mistaken but i remember him getting very "animated" about this.

Paw paw are America's largest native fruits and in the past native Americans would plant their seeds in order to spread their habitat. They are related to the Cherimoya family of tropical fruits such as the custard or fuzzy apple which Mark Twain claimed was the most delicious fruit he ever ate. The Annonaceae and Annona family of trees do have large seeds, usually black and sometimes even mildly poisonous. If you ever have a chance to drink a fruit drink by El Goya brand called Guanabana or Sour sop and you'll be amazed.

I think the Sour sop has a bit of mango/banana flavor but I think it would go great with apple cider.

jimba009 said:

they did not originate in ohio, transplants i guess. at least that is what the pawpaw guru told me. i asked about some of those specifically and his response is that they where brought in. i thought the tomato came from ohio to, be he has a pretty stong opinion on it. that was about 8 years ago when i worked for him, so i might be mistaken but i remember him getting very "animated" about this.

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According to resources from OSU and other sources the fruits listed above are listed as native to Ohio. The Tomato is listed as native to South and Central America and is a perennial in its native habitat.

However I have seen several sites promoting the Pawpaw the repeats the guru's claims to be the only native fruit. However I suspect it is just being repeated from unconfirmed sources. The above mentioned plants are all native to the north eastern US and there is no barriers to their natural expansion into Ohio. The climate and native plant life throughout the northeast and west to Illinois was very similar until land was cleared for farming. I can think of no reason why those plants were not growing here before being settled.

Craig

Oh cool, I think the paw paw is known as sugar apple in the caribbean, or at least they sound closely related.

Mr. Nice Guy said:

Oh cool, I think the paw paw is known as sugar apple in the caribbean, or at least they sound closely related.

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Maybe a related species. The Pawpaw is a temperate climate tree and would not survive in a tropical climate. However its closest relatives are tropical trees.

Craig