In this small and elegant book, artist/writer Roger Yepsen presents fascinating facts about more than 200 varieties of apples growing in the United States.
With beautiful and distinctive watercolors, he makes identification a snap. He also reveals how each variety tastes and which varieties are best for eating and cooking.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Picture-perfect apples with lackluster flavor dominate the American and European markets because they have the longest shelf life and broadest appeal. At the same time, there is a renaissance of interest in preserving precious, personality-packed heirloom apples. To lure people into joining this small but growing movement, Roger Yepsin has created this visually enchanting book devoted to the infinitely varied apple. In it, he talks about how apples are grown, stored, and used to make cider and harder alcoholic beverages, as well as for cooking and eating.
You can virtually taste the complex flavors of over 80 kinds of apples, thanks to Yepsin's exquisite prose and the vividly detailed watercolors he painted for Apples. Looking through the section describing each apple variety takes you on an international journey. You will meet the Japanese-bred Akane, introduced in 1970, the golden, russet-skinned Zabergau Reinette that came from Germany in the 1880s, and the French Calville Blanc which has been cultivated since the 1500s and which Thomas Jefferson grew. This informative romancing of the apple may draw you to a local farm stand, or inspire you to contact one of the mail order sources Yepsin provides for buying apples, actual trees, cider presses, and winemaking supplies. At the very least, you will want to experience for yourself apples beyond the usual tart Green Granny Smith and reliably dull Red Delicious. --Dana Jacobi
Review
“An elegant and compact new book. . . . Each [variety] is artfully illustrated and lovingly described, leaving the reader yearning for so much more than the common supermarket varieties. . . . [A] delightful book.” (Chicago Tribune )
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More About the Author
I work as a freelancer writer, editor, and illustrator out of an old stone farmhouse in Berks County, Pennsylvania. I love to write, like very much to edit, and have a difficult relationship with watercolor. For a look at my projects, please check out www.rogeryepsen.com, from which autographed copies are available.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an adorable, informative & fascinating book all about apples. The author does a great job of explaining how apple species have diminished, how retailers offer old and waxed apples and how to buy good apples
The best apple varieties for drying, sauce, pie, and cider are listed and the processes of making ciders, applejack & apple brandy are explained. There are even recipes for making apple leathers & apple butter.
A detailed description is included for over 90 varieties of apples. Information includes the apple's origin, flavor, uses, harvesting time, & how well it stores. An elegant watercolor painting is included alongside each description.
A small dictionary & sources for mail order tress are also included. This book makes a nice housewarming or wedding gift. It is a must for any cook serious about apples.
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
By Scott Smith
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is a nice resource for antique apple descriptions, but it doesn't describe particularly many varieties, and the author's lack of expertise in the area shows.
The author is an artist and writer. I have a few other apple-related books I have been reading that were written by professional apple people, and this book is a red delicious compared to the complex, nuanced information found in the other books. The particular thing I find bothersome is the lack of depth of the flavor descriptions. The author is not an expert in apple tasting and its shows. Another way it shows is the varieties selected: too many of them are mcintosh/golden-red-delicious/jonathan hybrids. Also given the huge history behind apples, how can one write a book called "Apples" with no history in it?
The book itself is unusually beautiful and the authors' pictures of the apples are also quite beautiful. So it would be a wonderful light little gift book.
If you want a "real" apple book get "The Book of Apples" by Morgan and Richards, which has a huge amount of history and thousands of variety descriptions.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This little jewel of a book is the best reference to the unusual "antique" apple varieties that are enjoying a new popularity. Stunning watercolors, history of varieties, and useful descriptions fill the book. Before we buy a tree, we consult "the book" to learn more about each cultivar.
We wish that the author would do an Apples 2 - The Missed Varieties book!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved this book!
Wonderful pictures and descriptions of the apples including tips for their best uses for baking, sauce, etc. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Donna L. Girardin
3.0 out of 5 stars
tiny book
The book isn't bad, but I was looking for detailed descriptions. I was sold on the price for a speicalty item with 255 pages. I guess I failed to notice the book dimensions. Read more
Published 5 months ago by kathleen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Apples
I enjoy reading about the varieties of apples and seeing pictures. The photography is great and the narration is easy to read.
Published 6 months ago by Robert Parker
4.0 out of 5 stars
apples
Good book, needs update with newer varieties,good reference book of sorts. Enjoyable reading and information about different types of apples.
Published on February 14, 2009 by Thomas P. Mcauliffe
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Apple Tasting-Plate
With Apples, writer/illustrator Roger Yepsen has created my kind of coffee table book. Although you may mistake this quaint 5x6 inch manual for a coaster, it will never overtake... Read more
Published on April 20, 2008 by G. H. Gifford
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heritage apples
When I decided to plant some apple trees, I wanted apples I couldn't buy at the local grocery store. Read more
Published on January 7, 2002 by P. Larkin Hutton
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real gem!!
This is a gem of a book. Roger Yepsen put a lot of heart and soul into this book and it shows. For a book that makes such a delightful first impression, it really delivers the... Read more
Published on October 29, 1999 by J. R. Mott
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 2
books:
- The Apple Book by Rosanne Sanders in Back Matter
- Rhode Island (Portrait of America) by Kathleen Thompson on page 47
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