Roxbury Russet

Roxbury Russet is generally considered the oldest named U.S. apple variety still in

existence. That last point is relevant, since another apple known as Blaxton’s

Yellow Sweeting, which is extinct today, might well have predated Roxbury by

several years. And there are other contenders for the OG American apple title:

Hightop Sweet, a summer apple said (without exact dating) to have been grown by

the English colonists at Plymouth; and even an obscure and probably extinct apple

named Blackston Tankerd [sic], also said to date back to the early 1600s in eastern

Massachusetts. Last, but certainly not least, there is the famous Rhode Island

Greening, which was noted by at least 1650 and like Roxbury is alive and kicking

today.

Assigning precise discovery dates to apples that originated nearly 400 years

ago can be a tricky business. These first truly all-American apples were seedling

varieties that someone identified as worthwhile and that were first used by local

farmers and settlers long before they gained a wider audience. In the case of

Roxbury, the date of introduction is usually given as 1649, when cuttings were first

sent for propagation from Massachusetts to Connecticut. The great pomologist and

nurseryman Charles Downing claimed that the apple was first discovered on the

farm of Ebenezer Davis in the town of Roxbury, Massachusetts (now a

neighborhood of Boston).

So how did Roxbury Russet become such a popular and widely grown apple

in early America, especially among home orchardists? Well, it certainly wasn’t due

to its good looks. No offense, but Roxbury is not a bright, beautiful red apple like

Jonathan, Esopus Spitzenburg, or other pomological matinee idols. Its skin is green

leaning toward yellowish, and the brown russeting isn’t uniform over the whole

surface of the fruit, as with say a Golden Russet or Hudson’s Golden Gem. My first

impression upon seeing it was “kind of an ugly duckling.” But it has grown on me

over the years.

No, the secret to Roxbury’s success lies in its incredible versatility, usefulness,

and long keeping quality. In the years before mechanical refrigeration, Roxbury

became an instant rock star: In cool, humid storage Roxbury will keep reliably

from harvest until the following April, and sometimes longer. It’s a good eating

apple when fresh, but even after months in storage, as the skin shrivels a bit, it’s

great for cooking, drying, and pressing into cider.

Although, as to cider, I have found there are two schools of thought. Several

modern New England producers actively seek out Roxbury, and even sell a single-

variety cider fermented from the juice. (Doubtless, they are looking to market it as

the “original American apple.”) Then there are the naysayers, notably my friend

Steve Wood at Farnum Hill Cider. One sure way to get him into a loud (but

friendly) argument is to extol the virtues of Roxbury Russet, which he considers

inferior as a cider fruit and won’t allow within a country mile of his tanks. Steve

claims he can taste even one Roxbury in a whole barrel of cider. However, I have

used Roxburys (often from Steve’s own tree) in my own cider for years, and I even

won a silver medal at a cider competition with a 50/50 blended cider of Roxbury

and Redfield apples. The main reason I’ve used Roxbury so often is that the fruit is

ready to harvest by early October, whereas Golden Russet isn’t usually ripe for

another two or three weeks. However, I must confess that, given a choice between

Roxbury and Golden Russet, I would opt for Goldens 99 times out of 100.

Even though today we have sophisticated controlled atmosphere cold storage

and worldwide shipping, which ensures a steady supply of apples year-round, there

is still much to be said for the humble Roxbury Russet. Think of it as a really good

utility infielder in baseball, kind of like Brock Holt, who played for several teams in

the 2010s (most notably my beloved Red Sox). In the course of his career Holt

played every position on the baseball field except catcher, and he is still the only

Major Leaguer to have hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, and home run) in a

single postseason game. Brock isn’t as famous as Babe Ruth or Ted Williams, but

he was one of the most versatile and useful players of modern times, and made a

little bit of history along the way. The Roxbury Russet of baseball, one might say.