Smokehouse

I get tired of people asking me the inevitable question: “What is your favorite

apple?” As someone who’s tasted hundreds of apple varieties, each with its own

special qualities, it’s impossible to pick only one favorite. I’m not like the apple

zombies who appear at small orchards every fall muttering “Honeycrisp,

Honeycrisp” as they pass by a whole menagerie of other, much more interesting

apples.

That being said, if I’m pressed for an answer I will mention Smokehouse as

among my favorites, along with Esopus Spitzenburg and a few other connoisseur

varieties. I have a soft spot in my heart for Smokehouse, both because of its

refreshing cidery taste and because it’s a fairly early to mid-fall apple that isn’t

available for an extended period of time each year.

Smokehouse originated in Millbrook, Pennsylvania, on the Lancaster

County farm of William Gibbons (so far as I know, not related to Billy Gibbons of

the rock trio ZZ Top). It was first grown and propagated in the early years of the

1800s, but was only brought to widespread attention in 1837. In the past it was

sometimes called English Vandevere or Red Vandevere, as some people considered

it a seedling of the old Vandevere apple from Delaware.

As a homestead apple Smokehouse is hard to top: it’s versatile, tasty, and

fairly trouble-free. In some regions it’s still a recognized variety, but here in New

England it is seldom sold except at small specialty orchards. However, given its

many fine qualities, it deserves to be more widely grown.

Fruit: Medium to large fruits are variable in shape, from roundish oblate to slightly flattened or tending toward oblate conic. The greenish yellow skin is thin, smooth, and tough, washed with bright carmine red that sometimes overspreads the entire apple; the surface is dotted with lots of light russet dots or stars, adding to the fruit’s visual appeal. The dense yellowish white flesh is firm, crisp, and fine-textured with a sweet, juicy, mildly subacid flavor that is often compared to fresh-pressed cider. Rowan Jacobsen describes it as having malty or caramel notes, but his palate is more refined than mine.
Growth Habit: Medium to large trees are vigorous and bear heavy crops either annually or biennially. The tree produces dense limb growth, and annual pruning is recommended to ensure good sun exposure, air circulation, and fruit quality.
Season: September; ripens over two or three weeks. Best for culinary use early in the season and for fresh eating a bit later. Has a relatively short storage life.
Uses: A multipurpose apple ideal for home and small-scale local orchards. Very good dessert quality with a refreshing flavor. Contributes to a good cider blend, either fresh or fermented. Also useful for baking (pies, crisps) and frying; the slices caramelize during cooking.
Pests and Diseases: Slightly susceptible to scab and powdery mildew; resistant to fire blight and cedar apple rust.

Notes from the Pomosphere