Apple Firewood

There's something almost criminal about burning apple wood in a stove instead of using it to smoke a pork shoulder. But when a buddy called me after an ice storm took out three old apple trees in his orchard, I wasn't about to say no to free wood. Loaded up the truck, and I'll tell you, that was some of the best firewood I've ever burned.

Apple cranks out 21.6 million BTU per cord, which puts it ahead of red oak and right up there with some of the better hardwoods on the chart. A cord weighs 3,485 lbs dry and a beefy 4,850 lbs green, so this is dense, serious wood. The heat output is real. You can feel the difference when you throw a couple apple logs on top of whatever else is in the stove. It takes over.

Now here's the tricky part. Apple is rated medium for splitting difficulty, and that's being generous on some rounds. Old orchard trees grow gnarly and twisted, with grain going every which way. I've had rounds that laughed at my Fiskars X27. A hydraulic splitter makes life a lot easier if you're processing any volume. On the plus side, smoke is low, sparks are minimal, and the fragrance is absolutely phenomenal. Your whole house smells like apple pie. No exaggeration.

Apple needs time to dry, 18 to 24 months. That's the catch. Check out the firewood seasoning guide for tips on speeding things up, but honestly, there aren't many shortcuts with apple. It's dense wood with tight grain and it holds onto moisture like it's got something to prove. Split it small, stack it open, and be patient. The payoff is worth the wait.

The bottom line on apple firewood is that it's excellent in almost every way, heat, coals, fragrance, low smoke, but availability is limited and seasoning takes a while. You won't find it sold by the cord very often. Your best bet is connecting with local orchards during pruning season or after storm damage. It's in the same family as black cherry, which is easier to find and seasons faster if you want that fruit-wood experience without the wait.