There were apples for all at Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm Sept. 22. The third annual Apple Festival welcomed about 150 people to hear local orchardist Ron Ross talk about the history, makings and culture surrounding that all-American icon, the apple pie.

Ross captivated his audience for 45 minutes as he revealed, amongst other things, that the only all-American ingredient in the apple pie is the salt! Every other ingredient has its origins elsewhere.

So how has the apple pie become so ingrained in American culture? According to Ross, artists such as Norman Rockwell have done much to promote it, but are not fully responsible. “You have to go back about 200 years to understand why it is so valued,” he said. In the 1700s and early 1800s, everybody in America drank hard-apple cider because, “It’s tasty, it’s thirst-quenching, it’s good for you, and it was a safe alternative to drinking water,” he said.

But in the 1800s, hard cider fell out of favor as drinking water became safer and beer brewing grew in popularity as a new wave of immigrants arrived from Germany, Ross said. Farmers looked for alternatives for their apples, and the American apple pie was born.

By the Civil War, Ross revealed, the slogan “American as apple pie” was popular, and today the apple pie has moved from the dessert table to coffee, energy drinks, sodas, milkshakes, whisky, vodka, granola, ice cream, popcorn, candles, room deodorizers, and even perfumes.

Ross’s talk was sprinkled with anecdote and humor and, as he closed, he invited the audience to taste samples of 10 apple varieties. All the apples were grown at either Oak Point Farm’s orchard or Maine Heritage Orchard in Unity. On offer were Red St. Lawrence, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Zestar, Red Wonder, St. Edmund Russet, Hayford Sweets, DudleyWinter, Sweet Sal, Somerset of Maine, and Chestnut—the overall winner in a show of hands.

An apple pie large enough for everyone to enjoy a piece was provided by Eventide of Boothbay Harbor, a hand-crank cider press was employed to provide fresh apple cider, and a raffle of prizes including four apple trees, an apple-treat gift basket, and a framed print of Andrew Wyeth’s “Wolf River,” donated by Fogg Art Restoration & Custom Framing, raised funds for the event.