Saturday, November 21, 2009

Pound Sweet, Pound Sweeting, Pumpkin Sweeting, Rhode Island Sweet, Round Sweet, Vermont Sweet, Lyman’s Pumpkin Sweet, Sweet Pumpkin, Yankee Apple

The apple with many different names. I bought mine years ago as a Pumpkin Sweet. What ever you call it, it's a wonderful old heritage apple. Very firms flesh, an excellent storage apple, great in pies or apple sauce. I also eat them fresh off the tree but it wouldn't be to everyones taste, a bit on the hard side.

(A quote from Big Horse Creek Farm's website) “The name for this apple is derived from its large size and yellowish-orange color. It originated in 1800's in the orchards of S. Lyman of Manchester, Connecticut and was first recorded in 1834. It has long been a popular apple in the South sought out for its culinary qualities. It is excellent for baking or canning, but less desirable for fresh eating. Fruit is large to very large with tough, smooth skin with patches of russet, occasionally showing a brownish-red blush. The yellow flesh is firm, crisp, juicy, and very sweet. Ripens October or later. “

What I like about it most is what it does this time of year. It doesn't drop it's fruit on the ground. I've never seen any other apple quite like it. What ever fruit is left on the tree after I've harvested all that I want, stays on the tree all winter. This is a great treat for wildlife, especially birds. After we've had a lot of cold weather the fruit turns brown but it still doesn't fall off the tree. All winter long there are birds in the tree picking at the frozen fruit and in the spring it's the first thing the robins go for as soon as the arrive.