Arkansas Black – a good storage apple for preppers and Thrivers.
I almost cut this tree down. I am glad that I didn’t.
I have a love-hate relationship with this tree. I planted several five years ago. They are always burdened by cedar apple rust and some years shed many of their leaves. I have been tempted to cut them down several times. I tried grafting other apples onto the tree but none took. Part of this is because they are in the back pasture – permaculture Zone 2-3. They are not irrigated. They are not planted in mounds on swales. But around early October, I noticed 8 or more apples on the tree ready for harvest.
Arkansas Black apples are very dark apples, kind of flattened. I picked some and they were hard as a rock! This was because Arkansas Black apples are not meant to be eaten out of hand, straight from the tree. They are perfect for storing to enjoy in the mid-winter.
I stored the apples in organic mesh cotton bags, hung from the rafters in my dark basement storage room. (Some sites recommend storing them in the refrigerator until mid-winter)
After the new year, they were slightly shriveled, still firm, but now were soft enough to cut and eat. The Arkansas Black apple was mildly sweet, slightly tart, with a hint of slight spice. Perfect for the after holiday eating. Note that it’s still not a store quality, watery apple like Red Delicious.
You can fry the apples or turn them into applesauce.
Since the trees are isolated in the back pasture, I will plant the seeds and see what results I get. I will report back on the results.
Join the Thriving The Future Community – Telegram Group
GrowNutTrees.com
Chestnut seeds for planting, chestnut seedlings, elderberry cuttings, comfrey crowns and root cuttings. Adapted to the Midwest.
Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced in a certain climate.
Often when you buy chestnut trees or seeds online, you have to buy from nurseries in the Northeast or Southeast US, or the Pacific Northwest.
Take it from us, trees grown in those climates do not do well in Kansas.
Buying from our Kansas homestead, with nut trees grown and adapted to the Midwest, will make them much more likely to be successful on your homestead or in your yard.
Use coupon code “Thriver” at checkout for a 10% discount for Thriver.News readers!
