America’s First Apple(s)

North America was home to apples long before Europeans - or cider - reached its shores. Malus fusca, or the Pacific crabapple, is native to the continent and there’s a rich history and contemporary culture surrounding the variety to explore. We’ll look at how the apple has been and is still used by Indigenous nations and poke holes in the narratives about cider we’re all too familiar with. We follow apple seeds and stocks across the continent and through time, visiting a vault, getting to know Midwestern cideries, and embracing the eclectic flavors (and stories) behind American cider.

Keep Learning:

Learn more about the Pacific crabapple and find out more about Nancy Turner’s research.

Find out more about the Gitga'at Nation, of which Cameron Hill serves as a councilor.

View the books Eveline Feretti describes online as part of the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Read Dan Pucci’s book, American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage.

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