Arkansas Black is a very tart, crisp apple and a good keeper. It is pleasantly sweet and almost as if it were an apple already prepared to go in a dessert--as if it were a tart apple with sugar added, and perhaps a bit of vanilla near the outside and faint but definite almond undertones nearer the core.

An old nondescript green russeted apple, originating in the 1700s. Ashmeads Kernel is lumpy, mis-shapen, and rather small. Yet appearances can be deceiving, Ashmeads Kernel has remained popular for well over two centuries and with good reason: it has a distinctive flavor which is quite different from most other varieties. Tasters rarely agree on exactly what the elusive flavor reminds them of, but pear drops is probably close. Ashmead's Kernel is a highly-valued apple for juicing and hard cider.

Chestnut crab is one of the larger fruiting crab tree selections known for its sweet nutty flavor (tastes like fresh squeezed apple cider. Chestnut Crab is the secret ingredient to many “Blue Ribbons” given at state fairs for the best cider.

The origins of Golden Russet are not clear but it arose in upstate New York in the 19th century, possibly derived from an English russet variety. The flavor and slightly flattened shape suggest a connection with to Ashmeads Kernel, which has always been grown in the USA. For a time, Golden Russet was grown on a commercial basis but then fell out of fashion. It has enjoyed a resurgence of interest because the strong-flavored juice is ideal for cider and hard cider production.

Harrison is a well-regarded hard-cider apple. It was known throughout the eastern states in the early 19th century but subsequently fell into disuse.

In the late 20th century, there was much renewed interest in American cider production and apple enthusiast Tom Burford managed to track down a couple of old trees of this variety. Many new trees have since been propagated and it has become a popular variety among hard cider enthusiasts.

An apple of Virginia origin arising sometime in the 18th century, but never very well known or widely distributed. It is quite an attractive yellow apple popular for making a thick, dark yellow juice. It was also very popular for making apple brandy. It was said that if a grower had several Parmar trees in his yard, the neighbors knew he was most certainly making illegal brandy!

Its most notable feature is the unusual and prominent pineapple-like flavor. The flavor of apples can be most simply defined on a scale from very acidic to very sweet, but many varieties exhibit other flavor overtones on top of this basic axis, and Pitmaston Pineapple is the best example of a small group of apples where a musky pineapple-like flavor comes to the fore.

Rhode Island Greening is well-known American heirloom apple variety, dating back to the 17th century. That makes it a very old apple, indeed there are not many European apples that can be traced back as far as Rhode Island Greening.

Roxbury Russet is generally recognized to be the oldest apple variety which originated in North America, and its history can be traced back to the colonial era. It is very probably a seedling of an apple variety brought over by early settlers from Europe.

Although it has some tartness it is like all russets a fundamentally sweet apple. Visually the extent of russeting can vary considerably, in some seasons and on some trees, it can be extensive, whilst in other situations there may be very little.

A large, flattish shape, yellow flushed and striped red apple named for its proximity to a smokehouse rather than a smoky flavor profile. Flesh crisp, yellowish, moderately fine-grained. Fresh cider flavor. Very good quality cider apple.

Whitney Crab is a greenish-yellow skin apple with red blush and stripes. It has a subacid flavor with a slight astringency, and the flesh is juicy and yellow. One of the most popular of the large crabapples, particularly in the West and North. The fruit is attractive, yellow, striped with lively red, subacid, good for dessert and very good for cider. The tree is a thrifty, upright grower, comes into bearing young and is very productive.

An attractive red winter apple, symmetrical, uniform, medium to large size. It is excellent in quality for cider. Skin tough, smooth, pale yellow or greenish nearly overspread with bright light red with carmine stripes. Flesh nearly white, firm, rather fine, moderately crisp, tender, juicy, distinctly sweet, good to very good.