AdvertisementKeeping Heirloom Apples Alive Is 'Like A Chain Letter' Over Many CenturiesSeptember 19, 2014Melissa BlockfacebookEmailGoodband compares these Knobbed Russets to shrunken heads. Others say potatoes or toads. They're all gnarled and warty and brown, but don't be intimidated: They taste great when ripe. They originated in Sussex, England, in 1819. (NPR)