Brother Apple

 Like most apples that ripen in late summer, Chenango Strawberry offers an intense

and fleeting pleasure. It offers almost nothing suited to the commercial grower: the

fruits ripen gradually on the tree over a period of two or three weeks, and it doesn’t

store for more than a couple of weeks. But for the home gardener or orchardist, it’s

wonderful. The tender, juicy flesh is quite aromatic and reminiscent of

strawberries. In an earlier day and age—long before apples shipped from Chile,

New Zealand, or God-knows-where populated every supermarket year-round--the

excitement and anticipation of the first apples of the growing season was palpable,

and people knew how to enjoy and use them. Today, not so much. Most people are

confused by thinking of any apples that mature before Labor Day, the unofficial

“beginning of fall.”

That’s a shame, because early apples like Chenango deserve their moment in

the sun as much as later varieties. This apple is not only suitable for fresh eating,

but the tender “melting” flesh cooks down to make terrific applesauce.

Chenango’s origins stretch back to around 1850 when it was supposedly

cultivated in Lebanon, New York. Lebanon is in Madison County, which was

carved out of neighboring Chenango County in 1806. Other sources suggest it

originated in Connecticut and was brought from there to central New York.

My old friend Tom Burford often said that every apple has its “15 minutes of

perfection,” and this is especially true of Chenango and many other ephemeral

summer apples. Depending on the climate in which it’s grown, the red or pink

coloration alone may not indicate ripeness. But a telltale sign of when to pick the

fruit is when the pale skin begins to appear milky.

• Fruit:  Medium, ovate to oblong-conic fruits with smooth, tender yellowish white skin that in favorable conditions is colored with streaks of rose-pink and flames of carmine red. The white flesh is tender and juicy with a nice subacid flavor and a lovely aroma when tree-ripe.  
• Growth Habit: Trees are hardy and vigorous. Bears annually, but usually sets heavier and lighter crops in alternate years. 
• Season: August to early September. Fruit ripens gradually on the tree over a period of two or three weeks. Pick when the pale skin begins to appear milky. Does not store well, perhaps two weeks. Overripe fruits often lack the apple’s distinctive aroma.
• Uses: A good early dessert apple, less tart than some other summer varieties. Excellent for applesauce.
• Pests and Diseases: Somewhat susceptible to fireblight.