- Lady Apple
The Lady apple stands out amongst the old fashioned apples due to its extreme old age: it is believed to have been grown by the Romans, dating back to 1000 A.D. when an Etruscan found a seedling and nurtured it into a variety which lasted through the centuries and across continents. The French called it the pomme d’api and Henry XIV was said to have favored it above all other varieties. It traveled across the Atlantic with the colonists, becoming a staple in the New World.
It is a very small apple, generally smaller than two inches across, with attractive bright green and red coloring. Because of its dimunitive size, it is often used for holiday decorations, decorating Christmas trees, used in garlands and for making wreaths.
Depending on the palate of the taster, it falls somewhere between sweet and tart, and, like many of the other varieties, it benefits from being served hot with the additions of cinnamon, sugar, cloves, molasses and a nice whole wheat crust.