028: John Bunker | Apple Identification

028: John Bunker | Apple Identification

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist April 27, 2016 Duration: 42:48

When John Bunker talks or teaches Apple Identification he doesn't begin with the apple. He always goes back to the root of the tree…unless it is one of the Eric Clapton apples, i.e., you immediately recognize it as a variety that you all ready know. John provides a great metaphor for recognizing apples that you have learned to instantly know, much like you would a riff from your favorite musician.

The core of the issue is your knowledge base of beginning to recognize key attributes that stand out during the apple identification process.

Episode 016: John Bunker and Cammy Watts - apple identification
Cammy Watts and John Bunker



Where to start with Apple Identification?

John says it, Begin by learning at least 24 varieties

Two to learn first:

  • Macintosh
  • Cortland

"You want to obsess over a Dingaling Sweet, not a Mac or Cortland apple."

Is it a seedling tree?

When asked: How old it the tree? John says, "I need to see the tree to determine if it is a seedling."

  • You learn what are the attributes or the characteristics of the tree
  • Even a hundred years later you can see the graft.

Determining the age in Apple Identification

  • Trunk diameter.
  • Is it hollow. All old trees are hollow, so you can't do a core sample. "
  • "They are coreless"
  • Is there a pattern?
  • Are they in rows?
  • Can you see how they were planted?
  • What was the distance between the trees?

When you are finally ready to look at the fruit you have eliminated what it could be.

Cider Chat Ep 28 Apple identification Wanted Posters

Can you test the DNA of an apple? 

  • The collection of DNA of apples is relatively new in the span of history.

How do we then find out if what we have is a particular apple?

John says, "You eliminated the pool, you are like Sherlock Holmes"

Apples mentioned in this Cider Chat

  • Northern Spy
  • Baldwin
  • Oldman Sweet
  • Poundsweet
  • Gravenstine
  • Blue Pearmain
  • Northern Spry
  • Ben Davis
  • Givens originated in Topsom Maine
  • Harrison and Hues
  • Campfield
  • Wanted info on the Fairbanks apple
  • Honeycrisp
  • Gala
Cider Chat Ep 28 FEDCO Apple Identification catalog
FEDCO Trees Catalog

John Recommends: Books: Apples of New York SA Beech 1904 2 volumes

Contact Super Chilly Farm

Become a Patron of Cider Chat via the Cider Chat Patreon Page

 

 

 


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
398: Cider in Florida? Visit Green Bench Brewing, Mead & Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:26
Saint Peterburg on Florida's West Coast Welcomes Green Bench Green Bench can boast being a microbrewery, meadery, and cidery in a region where palm trees rule! Despite that small inconvenience of no apples trees to speak…
397: Nature Evolves in the Glass | Wildcraft Cider Works, OR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:50
Fermentations Run without Fear at Wildcraft Sean Kelly founded Wildcraft Cider Works in 2014. His journey to cider making began in 2008. It follows his botanicals passion, quest for tree resources & conservation, in conc…
396: PDX Audio Clips | CiderCon 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:08
Pre-conference PDX Audio Clips This Cider Chat Live features clips from CiderCon 2024 which took place in Portland, Oregon. What was particularly unique about this year was the ice storm that took place. Pictured below i…
395: PDX Tips for CiderCon 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:32
Bookmark this episode for loads of Portland Oregon a.k.a. PDX Tips Oregon Cider Week and CiderCon 2024 are all converging in PDX and this episodes has all the tips you need arrive and hit the ground running. Portland res…
394: Cider Notes Heading Into 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:54
It's time to make your Cider Notes for 2024 The list of cider notes can be quiet long, but in this episode we are going to make it doable and easy for you. In this Cider Chat on Cider Notes The Talking Pommes encourage R…
393: How to Wassail & Drink Hail [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:16
What does Wassail & Drink Hail mean? In this episode learn about meaning behind Wassail and Drink Hail from the Butler himself, Al Sax. A Wassail is a celebration of the orchards, most typically apple orchards to honor t…
392: Bent Ladder Estate Ciders & Wine | Ohio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:58
The Vodraska Brothers Chris & Matt of Bent Ladder In the midst of a rich farming legacy emerged Bent Ladder Cider and Wine, based in Doylestown Ohio. Chris and younger brother Matt Vodraska are following in their father…
391: Test Winters & Climate w/Saint Lawrence Nurseries (NY) Founder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:45
Saint Lawrence Nurseries is a specialized tree nursery in New York state, renowned for its expertise in cold-hardy fruit and nut trees with a committment to sustainable and organic practices. The nursery, which was origi…
390: Renaissance Orchards Keeved & French Style Ciders | WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:21
Meet Chris Rylands of Renaissance Orchards First there was Cider Supply and then Chris founded Renaissance Orchards with his wife Melinda. This move was a natural progression of a series of events that include resources…