McIntosh is New York's No. 1 apple

The man who discovered New York's most popular apple, however, fled to Canada during the Revolution because of his Loyalist sympathies. John McIntosh lived in the Mohawk Valley, where his parents had moved from Inverness, Scotland, but moved to Dundas County, Ontario when the war broke out. That's where he discovered seedlings, while clearing land, which produced the tasty red apples known universally today as the "Mac."

"Nothing beats that first Mac of the season dripping down your chin," said Laurie Boekeloo, of Mourningkill Farm in Ballston. "It's so sweet." "You can use Macs for anything - baking, eating," said her 10-year-old son, Zac. He represents the fifth-generation at this popular local orchard, whose bake shop sells an estimated 40,000 pies per year - several thousand at Thanksgiving alone. "This year we have a great Mac crop, which of course is the biggest crop for this part of the world," Laurie Boekeloo said.

Two years ago, Mourningkill's harvest suffered a 40-percent decline from bad weather. This year, spring hail storms missed the farm's orchards by a half-mile on either side. Statewide, officials expect New York to produce a bumper crop of 24.5 million bushels, for all varieties, thanks largely to an abundance of August rain that improved growing conditions considerably. McIntosh, which thrives in cooler climates, is the leader.

"It's our Number 1 variety for volume and acreage," New York Apple Association President Jim Allen said. "It's a highly-processed apple. Companies like Mott's use it for apple sauce. Plus, it's very popular fresh. It grows the best in northern New York and New England. It likes hearty, cold weather - cool growing nights. That's what makes the color."

In 2006, there were 7,365 acres of McIntosh orchards in New York - 17 percent of all production - followed by Empire (nearly 5,000 acres, 13 percent). "Empire is a cross between the Mac and Red Delicious, so it's a direct relative of McIntosh," Allen said. Clinton County, with 3,400 acres of apple orchards, is New York's leading producer. Saratoga County has nearly a dozen growers from Schuylerville's Saratoga Apple to Riverview Orchards in Clifton Park.

Harvest of early varieties such as Paula Red and Ginger Gold began in August. McIntosh picking is under way now, with other varieties such as Cortland, Macoun and Spartan starting within the next week. Red Delicious picking is slated to begin around Sept. 18 and continue through mid-October, while later varieties such as Rome and Idared will start around Oct. 6 and continue through that month.

Shelley Smith of Smith's Orchard in Charlton likes McIntosh because of its versatility, especially when it comes time for making apple crisp. "It's a great cider apple, too," her husband, Richard, said. A wall on their bake shop has a map of the U.S. that shows where their apple pies have gone - from California to Connecticut.
"People that live around here associate McIntosh as a Northeast apple," Shelley Smith said. "This time of year a lot of people take them to Florida as gifts, because you can't buy them down there."

At one time, southern Saratoga County had a dozen apple farms, Boekeloo said. Now there are about half that many. Her father, 86-year-old Harry Davis, used to peddle apples from door to door for Mourningkill during the Great Depression. Later, the farm would send apples to market in New York City, but transportation costs got so high that they were only making about $1-per-bushel profit.

Now, their fresh apples and pies are mostly sold at area farm stands. One thing that hasn't changed is Davis' commitment to the farm's success. "He still sprays, mows and plows the gardens," Zac said proudly. "He does everything." Zac is already planning to take over some day, with visions of a bigger and more diverse operation. Well-schooled in all aspects of apple growing, he's also a born promoter, especially when it comes to McIntosh. "It's the sweetest, juiciest and crispest," he said. "It's the best."


Source: troyrecord.com

Publication date: 9/10/2008

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