I have been reading a book that some of you might be interested in,
Botany of Desi A Plant's-Eye View of the World. It is about the
domestication of four different plants and how they have been
genetically altered to suit humans. The first section of the book is
about the apple and the author talks a lot about Johnny Appleseed and
how this eccentric character spread apples through the US. As he points
out, people didn't eat apples back then. Since sugar was very expensive,
they were often used to provide sweetness in various dishes. The main
use for apples was cider.... hard cider.

The rest of the book is about tulips, marijuana and potatoes. I have
more good reading to go with this one.

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
m...

The main
> use for apples was cider.... hard cider.
>

There is *no* other kind!!

On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:20:53 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>I have been reading a book that some of you might be interested in,
>Botany of Desi A Plant's-Eye View of the World. It is about the
>domestication of four different plants and how they have been
>genetically altered to suit humans. The first section of the book is
>about the apple and the author talks a lot about Johnny Appleseed and
>how this eccentric character spread apples through the US. As he points
>out, people didn't eat apples back then. Since sugar was very expensive,
>they were often used to provide sweetness in various dishes. The main
>use for apples was cider.... hard cider.
>
>The rest of the book is about tulips, marijuana and potatoes. I have
>more good reading to go with this one.

DH loved that book. I am reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- A Year
of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver. Non-fiction about her and DH and
child, moving to VA farm, from AZ, and deciding to eat local, grow
their own and be "green", etc.. Interesting as she is a great fiction
writer, imho, also.

aloha,
Cea

graham wrote:
> "Dave Smith" > wrote in message
> m...
>
> The main
>> use for apples was cider.... hard cider.
>>
>
> There is *no* other kind!!
>

There wasn't back then. Cider ferments naturally. Non alcoholic cider
was made possible with refrigeration. Some of the cider was distiled
into applejack.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>> There wasn't back then. Cider ferments naturally. Non alcoholic cider
>> was made possible with refrigeration. Some of the cider was distiled
>> into applejack.
>
> Traditional applejack isn't distilled. It's made by fractional
> freezing.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applejack_(beverage)

You're right.

Dave Smith wrote:
>
> There wasn't back then. Cider ferments naturally. Non alcoholic cider
> was made possible with refrigeration. Some of the cider was distiled
> into applejack.

Traditional applejack isn't distilled. It's made by fractional
freezing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applejack_(beverage)