Arkansas Black

[hunts_with_stick]

I picked up and just planted an Arkansas Black tree. I have been doing some reading and it doesn't sound like they are that good of an eating apple. I have 30+ trees planted over the last 3 years. My plan is to make cider, hard cider, apple sauce, and to jar some as well. I also plan on leaving some for the deer as well. Is this a good one strictly for the deer? TY!

 

[hunts_with_stick]

This is the first Arkansas black, I have a wide variety of others

 

[Native Hunter]

They keep a long time, and the taste mellows somewhat over the winter in storage. They make a pretty good eating apple about Christmas. I make a lot of apple chips, and they are excellent for that.

The real pros are:
1. Late blooming, avoiding a lot of spring blossom damage
2. Very good overall disease resistance - especially to CAR
3. Late dropping
4. Nice big size
5. Very little insect damage compared to most

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Thanks, for the chips, skin on or off?

 

[hunts_with_stick]

And how long do you keep them in the dehydrator?

 

[Native Hunter]

And how long do you keep them in the dehydrator?

To make crisp chips, it takes 16 hours with the dehydrator set on high. To simply dehydrate them and have soft, dried apples, you can get by with much less time. You can play around with cinnamon, sugar and brown sugar as a seasoning to see what you like best. Plain brown sugar is hard to beat.

I use a hand crank tool that cores, slices and peels all at the same time - something similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Peeler-Stain...-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[hunts_with_stick]

We have one of those. Can’t wait to try making them. Are they like banana chips then?

 

[Native Hunter]

We have one of those. Can’t wait to try making them. Are they like banana chips then?

Much better in my opinion.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Arkansas Black makes my top 5 trees. For all the reasons already stated.

 

[KY wild]

I respect your opinion sir, Mr. Turkey Creek, so what is your other four?

 

[SwampCat]

My take as a southerner - this apple is a late bloomer and escapes late frosts. Its apples mature late - which means you have to water all summer and fall in our heat. Of my 15 or so apple varieties, I lost two of my arkansas blacks during the drought last summer, even though I watered weekly for three months. I did not lose another apple tree. They are very resistant to CAR. All my trees are surrounded by cedars. I like the taste of the apple just fine, but as Native says, they improve in taste a month off the tree

 

[H20fwler]

I've got four of them out from two year to ten year trees, mine are pretty much for wildlife and the apples hang good and all get eaten up so I like them fine.

 

[letemgrow]

What Native Hunter said.

Also, I took some out of the fridge and ate them in early March....I thought they were still a pretty good apple. Not the best I've eaten, but I'd eat them again.

How long they last and that they're late dropping adds to their value for deer.