AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — Doug Hundley is known in Avery County as the "heritage appler." He moved to the mountains years ago from Texas and started working for the cooperative extension. 

"This is a way to do horticulture and history at the same time," Hundley said.

When he started working with the extension and selling apples at their plant sale, he noticed people were looking for specific ones.

"They wanted the apples they grew up with," Hundley said.

The apples are known as heirloom apples.

"In the early 1600s, our ancestors were coming to the United States, 1600-1650. When they were coming over on those ships, they couldn't bring much with them — it was tough," Hundley said.

What they did bring, however, were apple seeds.

They brought apple varieties that many in the world have not tried because more aren't sold in stores, except golden delicious and Macintosh.

Hundley went all over searching for people who had heirloom apples in their yards. Now, he has almost 100 different types of apples growing in his.

"When the ladies of the mountains wanted the prettiest apple sauce, as white as white can get, they used the maiden blush," Hundley said.

His apples are sold in Avery County. You can also buy heirloom apple trees so you can grow your own.