How Do You Like Them Apples?

Crisp air? Check. Vibrant foliage? Double check.

It’s Autumn and that means orchards are overflowing with apples. As we tuck into our first warm apple pie of the season, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on this quintessential staple of the American diet.

In the age of industrial food production, how much do we really know about apples? To shed some light on the subject, we’ve rounded up a selection of Chelsea Green books that embrace the biodiversity of this fruit and all its forms. From crafting the perfect cider to utilizing traditional preservation techniques to a history lesson covering 1,800 varieties—take a journey deep into the world of apples.

	*The New Cider Maker’s Handbook* by Claude Jolicoeur If cider is the new craft beer, what’s holding you back from brewing your own? The New Cider Maker’s Handbook by Claude Jolicoeur is one-of-a-kind guide to cider production, providing detailed and accessible instructions on the basics of cider making. For both serious amateurs and professional cider makers, as well as orchardists who want to grow cider apples for local or regional producers, The New Cider Maker’s Handbook is the definitive guide you need to succeed.
	The Apple Grower by Michael Phillips 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. Michael Phillips delves into the mysteries of growing good fruit with minimal inputs including how to use kaolin clay against curculio and borers, how to create a healthy orchard ecosystem through understory management of plants, and how to make a small apple business viable. Excerpts: Recipe: Lost Nation Cider Pie
	*Uncultivated* by Andy Brennan Author Andy Brennan describes uncultivation as a process: It involves exploring the wild; recognizing that much of nature is omitted from our conventional ways of seeing and doing things (our cultivations); and realizing the advantages to embracing what we’ve somehow forgotten or ignored. For most of us this process can be difficult, like swimming against the strong current of our modern culture. Excerpts: The Apple: America’s Fruit Honoring the Cider-Making Process Wild Apples, Real Cider, and the Complicated Art of Making a Living
<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-1435307" src="https://www.chelseagreen.com/wp-content/uploads/9781933392134-1-300×378.jpg" alt="The Holistic Orchard cover” width=”400″ height=”504″>	The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips Many people want to grow fruit on a small scale but lack the insight to be successful orchardists. As The Holistic Orchard illustrates, growing tree fruits and berries is something virtually anyone can do. A holistic grower knows that producing fruit is not about manipulating nature but more importantly, fostering nature.
	*Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning* by Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante Not sure how to preserve this season’s bounty? This essential guide to traditional preservation techniques provides numerous recipes that enhance the taste and flavor of food, all while preserving its nutritional value. The book offers multiple options and recipes for storing apples, whether it’s simply utilizing a cellar or making a delicious chutney. Or, try making a drying tray in order to naturally preserve and increase the sugar content of your apples without additives. Excerpts: Dried Apples: Two Ways to Enjoy All Year Long How to Preserve Food Without Nutrient Loss
	*The Fruit Forager’s Companion* by Sara Bir Half of the fruit that grows in yards and public spaces is never picked or eaten. Citrus trees are burdened with misshapen lemons, berries grow in tangled thickets on the roadside, and the crooked rows of abandoned orchards filled with fallen apples. At the same time, people yearn for an emotional connection that’s lacking in bland grocery store bananas and tasteless melons. The Fruit Forager’s Companion is a how-to guide with nearly 100 recipes devoted to the secret, sweet bounty just outside our front doors and ripe for the taking, from familiar apples and oranges to lesser-known pawpaws and mayhaws. Excerpts: The Surprisingly Sweet Secret of Crab Apples A Perfect Autumn Snack: Triple Apple Snack Cake with Cider Glaze No Forbidden Fruit: Life-Changing Applesauce Recipe

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