The Baldwin

My first taste of a Baldwin apple was at Wolfe Orchard in Monticello, IL. Mr. Wolfe grew a lovely variety of modern and vintage apples, and the Baldwin won me over immediately. Discovered initially around 1750 in Wilmington, MA, it is a sweet, crisp apple of medium size, with thick yellow skin mostly covered in red stripes.

At one time, the Baldwin was the most popular apple in New England, but harsh winters in 1934-35 pretty much wiped out the trees. The orchards were replanted with McIntosh trees, a Canadian apple that was hoped to be more winter hardy. Ripening late in the fall, the Baldwin tends to be a biennial bearer. It is an excellent all-purpose apple, especially fine for pies, cider, and dessert.

For more information about the history behind the Baldwin, check out A Life of Apples.