Cook's Illustrated Unframed Print: New England Heirloom Apples

Over the past 20 years, renowned illustrator John Burgoyne has produced more than 150 intricate, hand-drawn illustrations for Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Now, for the first time ever, America’s Test Kitchen is proud to partner with Mr. Burgoyne and offer a select number of fine art prints featuring this iconic artwork.

Early colonists brought apples to New England, and at one time hundreds of varieties flourished in the area. Today reduced to just a few, "heirloom" apples are found mostly at small orchards and farmer's markets. The smallish Red, or Winter, Winesap gets its name from its spicy, wine-like flavor. This crisp, juicy variety is excellent for cooking and eating, as is its relative, the tart-sweet Stayman Winesap. Once the most widely planted apple in the United States, the small, tart Baldwin is great for baking. Another oldie-but-goodie, the all purpose Rhode Island Greening was Benjamin Franklin's preferred apple. The Ben Davis has good keeping properties and is well suited for baking. Another good storing apple is the tender, crisp, and juicy Northern Spy. The deeply flavored Tolman Sweet can grow to be quite large and is a favorite for making cider. The McIntosh still graces supermarket shelves and is excellent for eating and for making applesauce (it breaks down readily when cooked). This apple has several familiar offspring, including the Cortland, Empire, Macoun, and Spartan varieties.