Windham Russet

Windham Russet surprised everyone at the North-South Franklin County Cider Days taste-off in November, 2013 when it out-flavored nearly two dozen heavy hitters from both sides of the Mason-Dixon line to win it all. What an apple. On a good year, on the right day it is clearly one of the best. The small to medium-sized, roundish fruit is entirely russeted and nearly always covered with distinctive raised bumps, resembling a potato more than it does an heirloom apple. The stem area is often lipped, and the basin ranges from nearly regular to slightly furrowed. We have only found one specimen of what we believe to be Windham Russet, that being on an old farm in Palermo, not more than seven or eight miles from our farm.

Z.A. Gilbert, president of the Maine Pomological Society well over a century ago wrote about the apple, “I have spent much time in search of a pointer to the identification of this variety. So choice a russet is worthy of attention.” We agree. Said to be from Massachusetts although there is no Windham down there. Maybe it’s the Windham in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine. Mainer or not, it is an exceptional apple and one worth biting into every year when the Halloween candy rush is over and we long for real food again.