Apples of Uncommon Character

In his classic A Geography of Oysters, Rowan Jacobsen forever changed the way America talks about its best bivalve. Now he does the same for our favorite fruit, showing us that there is indeed life beyond Red Delicious—and even Honeycrisp. While supermarkets limit their offerings to a few waxy options, apple trees with lives spanning human generations are producing characterful varieties—and now they are in the midst of a rediscovery. From heirlooms to new designer breeds, a delicious diversity of apples is out there for the eating.Apples have strong personalities, ranging from crabby to wholesome. The Black Oxford apple is actually purple, and looks like a plum. The Knobbed Russet looks like the love child of a toad and a potato. (But don’t be fooled by its looks.) The D’Arcy Spice leaves a hint of allspice on the tongue. Cut Hidden Rose open and its inner secret is revealed.With more than 150 art-quality color photographs, Apples of Uncommon Character shows us the fruit in all its glory. Jacobsen collected specimens both common and rare from all over North America, selecting 120 to feature, including the best varieties for eating, baking, and hard-cider making. Each is accompanied by a photograph, history, lore, and a list of characteristics. The book also includes 20 recipes, savory and sweet, resources for buying and growing, and a guide to the best apple festivals. It’s a must-have for every foodie.

“"Rowan Jacobsen is one of the best writers reporting on, and thinking about, food today. Period." -Michael Ruhlman, author of The Soul of a Chef and Ratio ”

Jacobsen leads with his fearless palate every time—he's a down-to-earth companion you listen to, even if you don't always agree with him. Boston Globe on A Geography of Oysters
One cannot help but get a little hungry while perusing Jacobsen's enchanting book. Part manifesto, part travelogue, part science lesson, and part cookbook, this saliva-inducing work is . . . a sensual, titillating, sometimes lewd journey into the best foodstuffs of America. The New Republic on American Terroir
Jacobsen eases readers into discussions of chemistry, history, geography, and gastronomy with cavalier charm and worldly wit . . . Inspirational and highly engaging. Library Journal on American Terroir

Rowan Jacobsen is the James Beard Award-winning author of A Geography of Oysters, Fruitless Fall, The Living Shore, and American Terroir. He has written for the New York Times, Harper's, Outside, Mother Jones, Orion, and others, and his work has been anthologized in The Best American Science and Nature Writing and Best Food Writing collections. Whether visiting endangered oystermen in Louisiana or cacao-gathering tribes in the Bolivian Amazon, his subject is how to maintain a sense of place in a world of increasing placelessness. He lives in rural Vermont.

Is there life beyond Macintosh or Red Delicious? Yes, says Rowan Jacobsen. And there always has been. Remember that old tree in your neighbors yard? The fallen apples alongside country roads? Well, while the supermarkets had limited their offerings to but a few mealy or waxy options, all those old apple trees kept producing fruit. Apples are unparalleled in their diversity and character, with tree lives that span human generations. With the national embrace of local foods and a bid for more biodiversity, consumers are demanding wider range of apples. And they're out there for the eating, from heirlooms to new designer varieties...Apples have strong personalities, ranging from crabby to wholesome--something celebrated across America every fall, when farmers' markets, pick-your-own orchards, and progressive markets like Whole Foods overflow with piles of colorful orbs, their skins aswirl in red, orange, yellow, green, black, even purple. As the market finally realizes that Americans like produce with panache and pedigree, it has re-discovered the fruit with ultimate range. The Black Oxford apple looks like a plum. The Knobbed Russet looks like the love child of a toad and a potato. (But don't be fooled by its looks.) The Winter Banana has hints of banana. The D'Arcy Spice has pink freckles and a dash of orange near the stem, and leaves a hint of allspce on the tongue. When Hidden Rose is cut open, its inner pink is revealed. ..Now, in full color, with more than 150 photographs, Apples shows us the forbidden fruit in all its glory. After collecting specimens from all over North America, Jacobsen selected 120 to feature in this glorious and important book, each accompanied by an art-quality photograph, description, and listing of characteristics. In addition, Apples features 20 recipes, from savory to sweet, essays on history and lore, resources for buying and growing, and a glossary of terms. It's the book every self-respecting foodie and apple lover will have to have.

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