December 7: Northwest Greening

Golden Russet x Alexander (maybe)
Iola, Wisconsin
1872

This handsome, unassuming yellow-green apple is firm and dense with a mild tartness and faint hints of citrus and pear. It’s a spectacularly dry apple and juice yields when pressing are quite low. Cummins Nursery describes its texture as “cottony” and quotes Rowan Jacobson: “Worth a taste if only to remind yourself that preindustrial homesteaders endured crappy apples too." (Rowan Jacobson is my favorite apple author. Check out his book Apples of Uncommon Character.)

Way back in 1893 a bushel of Northwest Greening won first prize at Chicago’s World’s Fair. These days, most folks who taste this apple figure that it’s good for baking – which it absolutely is.

Not to be confused with the Rhode Island Greening, which has a good splash of red on it.

Read Adam’s Apples description of the Northwest Greening.

Growing Notes

Northwest Greenings are certainly hardy here and don’t present any particular problems. They are a reliable annual bearer and their medium-to-large size makes one feel very productive while picking.