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
160: The Way of the Amateur [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
The Way of the Amateur How do you pronounce Amateur? Did you know there is more than one way to approach this word? Do you use "amateur" as a compliment or an insult? If you are swinging back and forth on your answers to…
59: Ciderville Tales | Monterey Bay, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:59
The farmers of Monterey Bay California have been growing apples since the state constitution was first ratified in1849. The primary apple of the region is Newtown Pippin due partly to the demand for this apple by Martine…
158: CiderCon2019 | M. McGrath - USACM Exec Dir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:30
Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. ---------------------- The United States Association of Cider Mak…
157: County Cork's Killahora Orchards | Ireland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:44
Killahora Orchards of County Cork is located on the southern tip of the Emerald Isle a.k.a. Ireland and was once the center of the world butter market. Historically it is also known as the "rebel city". Today it is a thr…
156: Not all lees are gross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:50
Lees: When should we love them and when should we leave them? And what the heck is "lees" anyways? The main chat in this episode begins around 10 minutes in and features Curt Sherrer presenting his workshop titled "All L…
155: Sex(ism) in the Cidery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:46
Sex(ism) in the cidery was a panel discussion moderated by, Franklin County CiderDays committee chair April Woodard on November 3, 2018. The goal was to take the larger context from the MeToo Movement to the cidery commu…
154: Turning Straw into Gold | Apple Falls Cider Company [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:42
Matt Oskamp and Amelia Campbell started Apple Falls Cider Company in 2017. The cider house is situated alongside the farm store at Campbell Orchards located in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Campbell Orchards is owned by…
153:  Journey to the World's Largest Apple Tree | Kazakhstan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:17
In this episode author of "The New Cider Makers Handbook" Claude Jolicoeur presents an overview of his trip to Kazakhstan in August of 2017. This presentation was recorded at the 24th Annual Franklin County CiderDays on…
152: How to teach Cidermaking 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:48
Teaching Cider Making is fairly straight forward: Have on hand: Fresh pressed apple juice A carboy or some sanitized vessel to hold the juice, with enough room for it to ferment and not bubble over. An airlock to release…
151: The Sweet and Sour Side of Cider Podcasting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:07
Dave Carr makes cider using wild yeast and oak barrels (primarily). Raging Cider and Mead is based in San Marcos, California, which is about 15 minutes in land from Oceanside and based in San Diego County, California. Da…