| 'Newtown Pippin' | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Genus | Malus |
| Species | Malus domestica |
| Hybrid parentage | unknown |
| Cultivar | 'Newtown Pippin' |
| Origin | Newtown,New York |
TheNewtown Pippin, also known asAlbemarle Pippin, is an American apple that originated in the late 17th or early 18th century and is still cultivated on a small scale.[1] At one time, there were two very similar apple cultivars known as the 'Yellow Newtown' ('Albermarle Pippin') and 'Green Newtown' ('Brooke Pippin'), one of which perhaps originated as asport of the other.[2]
The Newtown Pippin is typically light green, sometimes with a yellow tinge. It is oftenrusseted around the stem. The flesh is yellow and crisp. The flavor is complex and somewhat tart, and requires storage to develop properly; some sources ascribe to it a piney aroma. Green and yellow varieties are sometimes distinguished but it is not clear that they are in fact distinct cultivars. It is one of the best keeping apples.
The Newtown Pippin is recorded as one of, if not the, favorite apple ofBenjamin Franklin. In 1759, Franklin had two barrels of the Newtown Pippin sent to him inLondon. After Franklin had a taste of the apples,Queen Victoria lifted the taxes on imported apples.[3]
This variety originated as achance seedling (a "pippin") on the Gershom Moore estate in the village ofNewtown (now called Elmhurst; the Moore property stood in the vicinity of what is now Broadway and 45th Avenue) inQueens, New York in the late 17th or early 18th century.[1]It was widely grown and praised in colonial America. Thomas Jefferson, for example, wrote from Paris that "they have no apples here to compare with our Newtown Pippin."[4]
It was widely cultivated in thePiedmont region, brought there by Dr.Thomas Walker,[1] who grew it on his estate,Castle Hill. U.S. presidentsGeorge Washington andThomas Jefferson both grew the Newtown in Virginia, where it acquired the alternate name "Albemarle Pippin" afterAlbemarle County, Virginia.[1] It came to the fore in 1838 whenAndrew Stevenson, the American minister to Great Britain, presentedQueen Victoria with a gift basket of the apples from his wife's Albemarle County orchard.[5] In response,the British Parliament lifted import duties on the variety, and it was an important export until duties were reimposed during World War II.
A partnership between theNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York Restoration Project, Slow Food NYC, and Green Apple Cleaners is providing hundreds of Newtown Pippin saplings (andpollenizer saplings) to community gardens, schools, parks and other public spaces throughout the city.[6]
Originally grown as a dessert apple, it is now grown primarily for cider.
In modern times, the Newtown Pippin has been eclipsed by theGranny Smith apple, which is more handsome and not as susceptible to russetting. It is still grown commercially in New York, where most of the harvest is used inMartinelli's sparkling ciders.[1] The Newtown Pippin is still available in Virginia, New York, California, the Pacific Northwest, and a few other places in the East, including roadside stands and at farmer's markets. It continues to attract attention as anheirloom variety, and was identified as one of the parents of theGinger Gold variety. As of 2014 it has attracted attention for its potential to be used in hard ciders, and at least one single varietal is sold in its native New York.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Apples grown atMonticello byThomas Jefferson | ||
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| Principaltable apples |  | |
| Principalcider apples | ||
| 18 other apples grown | ||
