Pomme d'Or

John first learned about Pomme D’Or (the Golden Apple) in 1998 when Garfield King and Gloria Seigars took him to see an old tree at Sly Brook, near St. Agatha in northern Aroostook County. The Pomme D’Or was in the small family orchard of Edwich Michaud and her cousin Phil Roy. Edwich believes that their grandfather brought the apple to Maine from Canada in 1870 and planted it at their farm on the shores of Long Lake. In northern Maine they call this apple the Golden Pear.

Pomme d’Or is one of the first apples to ripen in our orchard, usually near the end of August. The color of the apple is an almost translucent yellow-green that resembles the coloring of Yellow Transparent, but there is no chance that you will mix up the two variteties. Pomme d’Or is a crazy rectangular shape that looks like some engineer designed it to pack well in a box. Both the stem and blossom ends are lumpy and slightly puckery. As it ripens it develops more golden tones which set off the small black-brown dots that cover the skin. If you still are confused whether you have a Yellow Transparent or a Pomme d’Or, cut them open. Pomme d’Or have a huge open core that seems designed to hide a golden nugget instead of 10 seeds. Occasionally the core holds a drop of nectar inside it.

The apple is one of the most tart dessert varieties that we know and should only be eaten fresh by those who enjoy a good pucker. Like many tart apples, it is excellent for cooking.