Thanks for the reminder. I've been meaning to ask the list if anyone else
has ever heard of "billican" apples. I don't know if this is/was a variety
name, or a colloquialism for a type of small, thin-skinned, dull colored
apple w/ pink shoulder & red striping. (Early ripening and good for
sauce/spiced apple butter.) The last time I did an Internet search, I got
nothing, but I might not have tried enough spelling variations. The only
time I've ever known of this being grown was locally (s.WI) by people of
Irish & Scottish backgrounds, but w/ broad interests in horticulture.
I don't know if these would work as spiced apples.
I think I have a spiced apple recipe... somewhere. What's the deadline?
Our local paper was wondering if anyone had any spiced apple recipes,
stories, favorite varieties. She was raised in Il where her grandparents
canned Whitney Crab every year and they ate them at Thanksgiving. I told her
I thought Whitney was fine for that but I thought that there was a different
crab that was the mainstay for that purpose. Doe anyone know the traditional
candied or spiced apple variety? (I think its "spiced" not candied, is there
a difference?)
My grandmother also used too always have these preserved applecrabs that
were clove flavored. She was German and so was the grandma the above
mentioned journalist. Do you think it is a German tradition?
Any info welcome, I will relay the info with your name for print unless you
say you'd prefer not.