Johnson’s Winter (York) apple

Found this lovely apple at a market in Blacksburg. Had good flavor, good crispness, and a shape so ridiculously charismatic that I figured I’d have to grow it, whatever it was. Did a little research, and it turns out the name is obsolete… an old corruption (possibly) of Jonathan’s Winter, which in turn was the original name for what is currently (apparently) one of the ten most commonly grown apples in the country: the York Imperial. Funny that it still gets sold under that old name sometimes. The reason most people haven’t heard of it despite its being a top tenner is that it generally goes into applesauce. Still, I’ll grow it.