I grew up outdoors of Philadelphia, and reminders of the American Revolution have been in all places in my childhood. We hiked via the forests of Valley Forge Nationwide Historic Park and performed in its log cabins, that are replicas of shelters George Washington’s military constructed through the winter of 1777–1778.
There was additionally a stone colonial farmhouse simply across the nook from the home I grew up in. It was nonetheless in superb form due to its fashionable house owners. After I walked previous its previous picket fence, I usually questioned what the farm will need to have been like when it was nonetheless in operation.
For one factor, it in all probability had an apple orchard. Listed here are some enjoyable fruit info about colonial instances, simply in time for Fouth of July.
Apple Orchards & The Early Colonists
Apples retailer properly within the wintertime, even with out fashionable refrigeration, and colonial folks used them to feed their households and livestock. For the reason that native water wasn’t all the time secure to drink, in addition they drank lots of alcohol, together with exhausting cider constructed from apples. Apparently, President John Adams even drank exhausting cider for breakfast!
Crab apples
Enjoyable reality: Crab apples are the one apples native to America. Colonists introduced different varieties, however historic rumor has it that American orchards didn’t produce properly within the early 1600s, as a result of America had a critical lack of honey bees. As soon as colonists introduced bees over from England in 1622, apple crops improved—and it’s a superb factor they did. In accordance with the historians at Mount Vernon, apple pie was one among President George Washington’s favourite desserts.
Considered one of America’s Finest Native Berries
In fact, apples weren’t the one fruit that Pennsylvania colonists grew. If I time-traveled again to the 1700s, I may need additionally seen pears, peaches, plums, berries, and grapes (for wine) rising past that farmhouse’s fence. A few of these fruits are native to America—like strawberries—however many traveled right here with explorers or settlers.
Rather a lot has modified about meals and farming because the first Independence Day in 1776, however rather a lot hasn’t. An orchard continues to be a bunch of bushes planted within the floor that needs to be pruned and cared for earlier than it bears fruit. And two of our Pennsylvania farm companions, Kauffman Orchards and Frecon Farms, develop peaches, plums, and apples, similar to the early settlers.
Apple bushes at Frecon Farms in Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Fruit isn’t precisely a pathway to the previous—it’s too perishable for that—nevertheless it’s enjoyable to think about consuming the identical apple as a colonial farmer separated by 250 years. In case you take pleasure in an apple pie on Independence Day, I hope you keep in mind these Fourth of July fruit info, and that you just get somewhat style of historical past together with the fruit.
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