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

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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.
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