263: Apple Identification and Genetics

263: Apple Identification and Genetics

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist March 10, 2021 Duration: 18:48

Science Based Resource for Apple Identification

Up to this point we've all been reliant upon drawings and descriptions from historical books and "those in the know" to identify specific apple varieties. Today, as you will see below, there is now an option to have an apple's parentage checked via the DNA.

Apple Identification via Genetics has arrived!

Cameron Peace PhD of Washington State University's presentation on "The Reconstruction of the Apple Family and other cider genetics". This video is synced with the power point presentation presented by Dr. Peace at Franklin County CiderDays 2019.

Extra notes from Dr. Peace:

Cost of DNA profiling to determine identity and/or parentage is currently $120 per tree (sorry). Your photos and background stories of each mystery tree to be tested are welcome and requested – I'm interested in learning about each tree and joining you in making discoveries. Please note that this is NOT a commercial service but rather a research opportunity. Besides genetics answers provided back to you, knowledge of public interest might be revealed such as filling of gaps in the cultivated apple family tree. DNA profiles of apple tree submissions (your name redacted) are added to a larger dataset (publicly accessible by scientists) and might be used as examples in future scientific presentations and studies. To obtain leaf sample collection instructions, please email me at cpeace@wsu.edu

Heritage Orchard Conference

For a recently recorded and complementary talk by Dr. Peace on "Apple Identification with DNA: Identity and Parentage Revelations using New Tools" and other great talks by heritage apple experts, please see the Heritage Orchard Conference webinar series based out of the University of Idaho.

Here is one of the first webinar on the series. This one below is on Sleuthing for Lost Apples.

 

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.

 


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
149: Pro Tips for attending Franklin County CiderDays | MA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:51
Sign up for the New England Cider Tour November 1st! The first Franklin County CiderDays began as a one day event on the first Saturday of November. The year was 1994. It has been held on the first weekend of November ev…
148: UN Makers at Kings Mill Cider | Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:35
Kees Morsink and Margaret Van Helvoort have traveled the world as United Nations aid workers in Africa where they were fermenting everything from yogurt to mango and even doing some distilling. Cider isn't new to these t…
147: Sightseeing in Paris | CCLive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:45
What do you do before a cider tour sets sail from Paris to Normandy? You take in the city of lights, sounds and sights. River Tour by Eiffel Tower This episode is a Cider Chat Live recording - I had limited time, so this…
146: Cider Tour 2018 Netherlands | CCLIVE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:48
Cider Touring 2018 Netherlands | CCLive Mini clips of travels and tips while in Amsterdam in September. Anne Frank's house A visit to Apples en Peren in Amsterdam Then on to the Vondelpark to visit the Medlar tree Medlar…
145: 1 Guy & 6 Girls | Sietsema Cider, MI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:49
Andy Sietsema comes from a long line of apple growers in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan. He is a fourth generation farmer and now a professional cidermaker at Sietsema Cider. Since launching the cidermaking operation…
144: New England Cider Tour & Dinner | November 1, 2018 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:59
New England is comprised of 6 states, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and is home to some of the United States' oldest commercial cideries. In what is known as western Massachusett…
143: Perry & Cider at Windswept | Georgian Bay, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:10
There is Perry being made in Georgian Bay, Ontario! Windswept Orchard Cider is 2 years old (founded in 2016) and is the creation of Mark Skinner, wife Courtney and their two kids. This couples background is culinary cook…
142: SoCal Irreverence at Ironbark Ciderworks, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:34
Ironbark Ciderworks in Claremont, California opened its Tasting Room doors to the public in November of 2017. The large inviting Tasting Room has conical stainless steel tanks to one side and room for musicians to anothe…
141: Cider Lunch at Heartwood Farm & Cidery | Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:43
Val Steinmann and Brent Klassen moved from the city to the 42 acre farm that is now called Heartwood Farm and Cidery in 2004. In the past 14 years, they created pasture and now have a herd of 20 cows each summer. They ha…
140: Commercial Cidermaking | Niagara College, Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:04
Niagara College has two locations in Ontario, Canada. This chat features the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus which has a fully licensed winery on site (which is what is needed to make cider in Canada). It is here that past st…