Wealthy, Tompkins King, Dutch Mignone the heirloom Apples of Broadview
A post from Will Murray of the Friends of Piper’s Orchard
2020 will undoubtedly be the year that shatters fruit harvest records in Broadview if such records are actually kept. City Fruit recently harvested apples at Pipers Orchard in Carkeek Park for the #GreatSeattleFruitHarvest and a local backyard tree produced over 576lbs of apples.
Wealthy, Tompkins King, Dutch Mignone, Roxbury Russett apples harvested from Pipers Orchard in Carkeek Park
Fall in Broadview has meant apple harvests since the 1890s when the Piper family homesteaded here. The Pipers originating from Germany planted European Apples Bietigheimer, Gravenstein, Tompkins King, Dutch Mignone also American varieties Esopus Spitzenburg and Wealthy. European apples have complex flavor profiles such as Bietigheimer which is slightly sour. Esopus Spitzenburg originated in New York and was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple. The commonality between these original apples at Pipers could be their use in baking as they had both a bakery and confectionery in downtown Seattle. The apples were also sold from a wagon at 6th and King St. years before Pike Place Farmers Market was formed. Here is an award winning apple pie recipe to put all those apples to use.
Blue Ribbon Apple Pie
Pastry for 2-crust pie
3 large apples
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
Combine all ingredients. Pile in pie shell. Dot with butter and cover with top crust. Make steam vents and flute edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 1 9” pie. recipe courtesy of Jewel Knutson Wenatchee, Washington
576lbs of Winter Banana apples ready for donation to local food banks. Harvested from one Backyard tree in Broadview this fall and they are still harvesting!
To learn more: Friends of Pipers Orchard Fruit tree map
