Harvest Season’s Poster Child
Fall is quickly approaching, and the season delivers not only crisp, autumn air but our favorite crisp, autumn treat: apples. First becoming famous in the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, apples have been a rich part of our heritage beginning with the European settlers.
North American apple harvesting began with the colonists in the 17th century. The first apple orchard, located in Boston, was planted by the Reverend William Blaxton. Blaxton cultivated the first variety of American apples, the Yellow Sweeting. As more seeds and cuttings were brought by settlers from Europe, their seeds began to produce all new varieties of American apples. Many of these apples were still fairly bitter, unlike the sweet varieties we enjoy today, but they had an important purpose in colonial society: cider. Cider had become a popular beverage in England, and the new settlers brought with them a taste for the beverage. Due to sanitation concerns over water, many colonists often served a fermented cider at meals instead of water.
Apples were introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the 1800’s, around the time the famous legend Johnny Appleseed traveled the Midwest handing out seeds in packages to everyone he met heading West. The apple-toting, tin-pot-hatted folk hero also planted nurseries that primarily resulted in cider and applejack, as the trees did not yield edible fruit.
Early pioneers introduced apples in Utah, as Mormon leaders encouraged pioneers demonstrate that a wide variety of fruits and vegetables could be grown in the area. By the late 19th century the Wasatch Front was recognized as the most suited to large fruit production. A growing commercial fruit industry began in the early 20th century, and by the early 1970’s apples saw a dramatic growth in number of trees planted in the state. Today, apples are one of the two largest fruit crops produced in the state, along with the tart cherry.
At the start of harvest, communities celebrate the season by throwing a festival as a form of gratitude for the crop. In keeping with tradition, Mountain West Hard Cider and Red Rock Brewing are hosting 4th West Oktoberfest September 30-October 2. Don’t forget to mark your calendars.
Mountain West is proud to use only locally sourced apples in our Hard Cider. We encourage you to visit one of our great local orchards this harvest season! Also, keep an eye out for our Fall product launch, our new bourbon barrel aged cider, Stillwater!