Sure, I love the colors the leaves turn. I even love that October is the time of my personal favorite holiday - Halloween.
But what I really love is the apples.
For a very short time, you can get fresh, unwaxed, off the tree, apples!
And the varieties! I don't bother with the 6 or 7 varieties that fill the supermarket all year.
Last week, I went to the farmer's market and i got Macoun's, Swiss Gourmet, HoneyCrisp, and Snow apples.
It's a struggle. I have to be realistic in the amount I buy. I only eat 2 or 3 a day. And I'm torn between buying old favorites and venturing out into uncharted territories. One vendor is helpful in this regard - he often offers slices of different varieties to shoppers.
Macoun's are an old favorite - they originated in the area around Rochester, NY where I grew up. They're on the tart side, with just enough sweetness to make them my all-time fall-back for an eating apple. Since they're fresh, juice runs down the apple (and my mouth) every bite.
Swiss Gourmets are almost as crisp as Macoun's but a bit sweeter. Nice and small - perfect for a quick snack.
HoneyCrisps, as the name suggests, are pretty sweet. Crisp and juicy too. They're a favorite snack for shoppers at the market who have kids.
The Snow Apples, I'm afraid, were a bit of a disappointment. The flavor was good - a mixture of sweet and tart. But the apple was on the mushy side, no crispness to speak of.
I had to really limit myself today at the market. Although I'll pack some along on my trip, I'm leaving on Wednesday and won't be eating as many apples.
When I lived in Rochester, I could get apples right through the middle of November or later at apple orchards. Now I am limited to getting them through the last weekend of October at the farmer's market.
Still, that's part of the delight. I like having something to look forward to that's available for only a short time once a year. That may sound strange, but it feels right.
[ September 11, 2004, 09:43 AM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
They can actually grow apples in a very small part of Montana - the beautiful Bitterroot valley which I used to call home. *sniff*
And not just apples - MacIntosh apples. They're beautiful and they have them in the local stores for a couple weeks every October.
There is nothing in the world more beautiful than a nice MacIntosh apple. Mmm. Last year I made a MacIntosh apple pie using the juice from an entire lemon. It was tart goodness!
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
You wouldn't know it from my current shape, but I'm not that much of a pie person. The nice thing, Annie, is that Macintoshes are available year round in most stores - do the fresh ones make a difference in baking? I can't tell.
Forgot - today my selection included Macoun's, Honey Crisp, and a new one - Northwest Greenings - they look a little like golden delicious apples, but they are very crisp and more tart than the Macouns.
[ October 04, 2003, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Mmm... I think I'm off to buy apples now.
Just call me Eve.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I don't like apples.
They hurt my teeth and gums.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
*drool* Macouns.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Snadrake, Have you ever tried Spencer apples? They are just coming into season here in W Mass. The season is a short one.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Icarus, me too! The only ones that don't are Granny Smiths in winter, and the sour types like Macs and Spencers, in the fall. Any other time of year, they hurt, and also make me sneeze.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
It would be better if I would cut it up instead of biting into it. *pout* But that's work! And when you cut it it starts to go brown! Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Annie:
quote:Mmm... I think I'm off to buy apples now.
Just call me Eve.
Hmmm... Does that, for the purpose of this thread, make me the...
SERPENT????
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I know this time of the year you can get really good apple cider. I'm not much of an apple juice person, but the autumn cider this store in Arkansas carried was divine.
:::Misses Arkansas a little tiny bit:::
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote:I don't like apples.
They hurt my teeth and gums.
Well, Icarus, if you'd eaten more apples when you were younger, you would probably have healthier teeth and gums now.
I go through the same thing with corned beef reubens (drool)- once or twice a year, I break down and eat one. The inside of my mouth feels like someone worked it over with steel wool and then rubbed salt in after I'm done eating. Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
sndrake, the snake!
I just got home with 5 pounds of Montana-grown MacIntoshes for 59 cents a pound! This is the best MacIntosh investment I've made since my powerbook!
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Elizabeth,
Unfortunately, I just checked the calendar and my worst fears have been realized. Today was my last trip to the farmer's market. The last Saturday for the market is October 25th. I'll miss every Saturday between now and then.
The good news is that part of that will be spent in Rochester, NY - so I'll have a chance to hit the apple orchard store with my family and bring some home with me.
I'm hoping that maybe next week someone at the event I'll be at will steer me to a market in downtown Charlotte, SC. Maybe I can pick up some apples there too. I understand the South has some really great regional varieties.
Other than that, maybe I'll go ahead and take a 45 minute drive to some apple orchard and market in Indiana on the weekend of Nov. 1.
But it looks like I'll miss out on trying Spencers this year. I can't even say for sure if they're available at the market I've been going to.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Here is good news about the keeping quality of Spencers, which, apparently, were "born" in Brtish Columbia, and are a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Macintosh.
So, have your folks in Rochester pick some up for you.
I assume you have gone to Dinosaur Barbecue in Rochester? Oh lordy lou, my mouth is starting to water...
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
i like going to the little store the ag school has and buying experimental apples.
oh, and it's cider season! wonderful, unpasturized necture, how we love thee!
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
quote:Well, Icarus, if you'd eaten more apples when you were younger, you would probably have healthier teeth and gums now.
But, to the best of my knowledge, I don't have unhealthy teeth or gums! Only apples bother me!
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Apples! Apples! Apples are in early september! My goodness it's nearly time for snow...
Some people have all the luck...
I guess I'm stuck with Granny Smiths for the rest of the year. Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
I *LOVE* Granny Smiths!! They're fantastic. I also love Fijis. All of the zappy ones. MMMmmmm. *sighs* Posted by Ryan Hart (Member # 5513) on :
sdrake is a conesiur {sic}. So what are the best apples for baking?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
My friend, who works at Atkins Fruit Bowl, says i am wrong about the "birthplace" of Spencers being in British Columbia, so i will go back and check my source. He says they were grafted at Cornell.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
OK, I found two sites which say Spencers were "born in B.C. Here is one.
It is also a great site for general apple knowledge.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Teshi, where are you? It sounds like for most of us the prime apple season runs from mid-September to the end of October.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Apple cider! Count me in... Don't much care for apple juice. Tough finding unpasturized cider, though. There were way too many e. coli infections from an overabundance of deer poop in the orchards.
Speaking of which, did y'all know that apple juice contains no protein, while cider contains trace amounts of it? I'll let you puzzle that out.
When I visit New York, I'll have my traditional hedonistic feast. Cider, a box of trisquits, and a block of really sharp cheddar cheese. The type of sharp cheddar that calls to mind the aroma of very old and dirty socks; the kind of cheddar you can leave on the counter without worrying about the dog stealing it; the type of cheddar that even flies detour around...
Ahh, the power of cheese. and cider. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote:i like going to the little store the ag school has and buying experimental apples.
Celia, wasn't there a movie about that? No, wait, the movie was The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.
Apples are noble fruit, unlike tomatoes, which are comedic devices in everything from slapstick to intentionally outrageously bad (and therefore funny)movies.
PS - Elizabeth, thanks for the link. You can tell it's a great orchard. They grow and offer Macouns .
[ October 04, 2003, 11:23 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
"The type of sharp cheddar that calls to mind the aroma of very old and dirty socks; the kind of cheddar you can leave on the counter without worrying about the dog stealing it; the type of cheddar that even flies detour around..."
New York Cheddar! it is hard to find, as people think Vermont has cheddar all locked up.
I grew up in the Adirondacks. We would go to the store and get a giant hunk from the biggest cheese wheel I have ever seen. We called it "rat cheese"
The closest I have found in the stores is the Cabot cheese that comes in a black wrapper. I think it is Hunter's cheddar, or something like that.
And it is the BEST with apples.
Posted by sarahdipity (Member # 3254) on :
And now I want a carmel apple.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Christy treated me to a bonanza of baking yesterday. Not only can she make the world's best applesauce, but her pumpkin pie -- made from fresh pumpkins -- is worthy of bringing up in Sunday confession. Mmmmmm ...
Icarus, do you have seasonal allergies? There's something called "oral allergy syndrome," in which there is a burning/itching/painful response to fresh fruit in the mouth, sometimes accompanied by swelling. It's associated with cross-reactivity to the pollen proteins, so if you have hayfever or allergic rhinitis, this may well be another component of it. Sometimes the oral hypersensitivity only manifests when there is a high pollen count, so it can be seasonal too.
quote:These allergic reactions usually occur only when the food is raw. People who are allergic to the raw food can eat it cooked, canned, microwaved, processed or baked. For example, someone allergic to raw apples can eat apple sauce, apple jelly, apple juice, apple pie and dried apples. However, nuts may cause allergic reactions whether raw or cooked. This problem is usually life long. Allergy tests to these foods may sometimes be negative unless a fresh fruit is used for the test (instead of a commercial allergy extract). The allergic reaction to these foods can occur anytime of the year when eating the foods but can be worse during the pollen season and especially if hayfever is very troublesome that year.
Posted by tancath (Member # 5769) on :
Celia, what a lovely name! I named my daughter Celia. The best apples I've ever ate, I can't even remember their name. It was in Autumn, my dad had lit a big fire of dead leaves and wood and we all gathered around it, with apples at the end of a stick. We backed them in the fire. It was burning our mouth, the smoke would sting our eyes, it was really reaaly cold, but it was fantastic!
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Yup, *grin* I bought a half bushel of apples. I definitely know what you mean about having to know your limits. I'll have to keep on myself to use these delicious apples before they go bad. There's something so wonderful about a tart, firm apple, though! I can't resist!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Claudia Therese,
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have always wondered why i can't eat raw apples, plums, peaches, or cherries, but have no problem when they are cooked, or even over-ripe. I can eat roasted nuts, but have a terrible reaction to raw nuts.
And I have hayfever.
Or, I should say. I used to. Since I had my first baby, my hayfever went away, almost completely. Why??
Again, thank you for giving a name to something I have always suffered from.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
"They can actually grow apples in a very small part of Montana - the beautiful Bitterroot valley which I used to call home."
Not for too much longer. In the process of drilling for natural gas there, energy companies are pumping up salt water and dumping it on the surface. Pret' soon the soil ain't gonna be able to grow anything.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
ClaudiaTherese,
thanks - you are the second medical professional to explain this. Interestingly, both were in informal settings like this. It also came up incidentally, since I don't make it a practice to solicit medical advice from doctors in social settings. I just explained why I had to turn down the fruit salad. The couple of times I brought it up at doctor visits (doctors I no longer go to because I live in a different city), the response was something like "that's weird."
(as someone with a long and complicated medical history, I have about a .500 average with the medical profession.)
With me, it's melons. Any time of the year. It started with cantelopes, and spread to the rest of the melon family (except watermelon). My whole soft palate gets swollen and itches. Since the reaction was getting worse, I decided years ago to avoid the fruit altogether.
I miss melons.
But I still have apples! Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Elizabeth, delighted to be of service.
Christy still has apples left. Christy, apples, hmmmm -- more kitchen adventures?
sndrake, you know it's just gotta be that I'm a walking encyclopedia of medical knowledge, filled up to my eyeballs in wisdom and sharply-honed analytic skills. Either that, or it's a relatively common pediatric diagnosis, and I know a lot of medical trivia.
(By the way, I'm very sorry about your experience with medical professionals. I'm far from batting a thousand myself, but I know in your case it's been more than just diagnostic dilemmas. A lot of medical training reinforces personality disorders. Luckily, most kids won't put up with jerks, so pediatrics is a lovely haven.)
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Multiple Replies: (in no particular order)
ClaudiaTherese: Yeah, most of my stories about doctors don't have much to do about difficult diagnosis issues. They have to do with arrogance and refusal to listen. There are also a significant number of phsyicians who dislike me as a result of my advocacy work - subject for a separate thread sometime when I have the inclination to get serious on Hatrack.
Elizabeth: I don't think there's a Dinsosaur Barbecue in Rochester (I could be wrong) but there is definitely one in Syracuse, where I lived for 7 years. I'm glad you haven't fallen for the hype that Vermont has been spreading about its cheese. We know what's best. I'm trying to find out if they have spencers at the orchard I go to in Rochester.
Annie: Fresh macs are at least easier to find in grocery stores. Speaking of fresh "macs"...
mackillian: Don't just drool over Macouns, go out and get some! Shouldn't be too hard in many parts of New England.
tancath: What a great story! I'm generally a fresh apple kind of person, but who could resist your story of beating off the cold with flame-toasted apples on a stick. Looks like you're new here. If nobody else has said it yet, Welcome! Welcome even if someone else has already said it.
Christy: I have new incentive to practice restraint. We have a garbage strike on right now. Rotten apples get to stay bagged here in the apartment.
And would somebody get Saradipity a caramel apple?
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Interesting. I do have hay fever, but I don't know if this is related. It just seems to me like the skin is so sharp that it bothers my teeth and gums . . . but I don't have especially bad teeth or gums, or at least not so that I notice the rest of the time.
What is interesting about that, though, is that certain foods make the back of the roof of my mouth get inflamed when I have them in the morning. I have not succeeded yet in correlating exactly what foods have this effect, or under what circumstances. It is something I have noticed from time to time with the very first food I consume in a day, but never ever later. For a time I was working on the hypothesis that it was when I had breakfast food that was sweet, but there were too many holes in that theory. I wonder if the inconsistency could be because it is caused by an allergy, and for some reason it doesn't come up all the time.
As I said, Interesting!
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Fridge is stocked with macouns. Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Perhaps yak cheese would be more to your taste?
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Here in Missouri, our community bought 25 bushels of "Jonalicious" apples (Jonathon/Delicious cross), yum...
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
fresh macs Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I'm always fresh. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Icarus, try peeling an apple and see if you have the same reaction! I'm really curious to know the results.
Apples--nice, tart, crisp Jonathan apples--are probably my favorite fruit. Every fall I probably eat my body weight in them each week. The only food that comes close to equalling the apple, in my opinion, is the mango. They're the only foods I like so much that I actually feel compelled to continue eating them after I've taken a bite.
sndrake, I wish I could share a particular variety of apple with you. It was created by a local in the area I grew up. It's flavor is similar to that of a Jonathan, but more intense, and with wonderful and subtle variations. Unfortunately, the guy who grafted these trees into existance only made 4 or 5 of them, and a few years ago the trees (which were in a field in the woods behind the house where I grew up)finally stopped producing.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Christy, is the garbage strike affecting you? I didn't know it was on in Wisconisin.
As far as apples go, I'm going to go on record as currently being an apple loather. This is due to the fact that our new-old house has a large apple tree in the back yard. They haven't been sprayed so they are absolutely worthless for eating and all night you hear the bump, chucka chucka thud, as they hit the roof and roll off. I've been raking them up every other day it seems in order to keep the yellow jackets down but the backyard is still an apple disaster.
AJ
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
You need to get some deer in there Banna. They love apples, and will generally take care of everything on the ground before it can rot or attract bees. Horses or cows would work too.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote:Christy, is the garbage strike affecting you? I didn't know it was on in Wisconisin.
AJ - that was a comment from me to Christy. I'm the one affected. I live in an apartment complex out by O'Hare airport.
Sorry about the old apple tree thing - untended fruit trees of any kind tend to be messy nuisances that draw way too many bees for my comfort level.
About the unsprayed thing, though - we visited some friends in Tennessee in late August who had a wild unsprayed apple tree. We ate some of them and they were good. The trick is, as in the pre-spraying days, to cut out the bug-infested parts of the apple and eat what's left. They were good!
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Uh, our is backyard is in the chicago suburbs... No deer until the nearest forest preserve 5 miles away. One of my puppies, Ciara decided that apples were fun to play with and has gotten at least 3 yellowjacket stings. Fortunately she didn't get mobbed by them like the schnauzer across the street who had so many he looked like he was wearing a solid yellow jacket over about 70% of his body!
AJ
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
quote:Icarus, try peeling an apple and see if you have the same reaction! I'm really curious to know the results.
Actually, when I chop them up I don't have any problem, even though the peel is still on. Something about the angle at which my teeth penetrate the skin when the apple is intact seems to bother me, so apple wedges do not. The problem is, though, that I get grossed out when the apple starts to brown almost instantaneously when you cut it. Is there a way to prevent that?
::scratches head::
The apple wedges at Melting Pot don't seem to turn brown . . .
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
If you sprinkle them with lemon juice they won't brown so quickly.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
sndrake, how come we haven't seen you at any of our jatraquero get togethers?! I live in Rolling Meadows.
AJ
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Won't that affect the flavor?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Yeah, but not that badly; it's what most restaurants do to keep fruit from browning.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
AJ,
the answer is that I'm pretty new. I only signed on in March. And my posting has been spotty - due to a really weird schedule. It's about to get spotty again. I'll be mostly on the road for the next 3 weeks.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
well except for the ladies only get together I'm sure we'd all love to meet you when ever you get a chance! AJ
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
That's mutual! I checked this community out for awhile before I actually registered. With rare exceptions, the bunch of people in this community handle each other's differences with civility, and mostly with cordiality and support. I'm enjoying myself immensely. And y'all are a part of that. I hope I can be part of what others enjoy about Hatrack over time.
Gotta get back to doing my press stuff..
Believe me, this is much more fun.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
sndrake, the next time my husband and I do a Chicago weekend, we'd love to treat you to dinner. Or, should the heebie-jeebies about meeting online folk be an issue, we can sit at opposite ends of Starbucks and briefly wave at one another. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Well, sn, you fit in so naturally here that it feels like you've been around much longer than you have; Hatrack fits you like a glove, and I'm glad to have you here.
Oh, and CT!
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Noemon, I'm guessing that you are twinkling about my unique blend of near-debilitating hypochondrisis and unrestrained hubris. I may have no claim to lasting virtue, but I am a hoot to have around somedays. And not just when I get stuck in my turtlenecks!
(Yes, sndrake is a man with congenital jatrequeroism. The hydrocephalus was a red herring -- what makes him unusual isn't anything one can see. I think it may be infectious, though. We can only help he spreads the meme with due vigor. )
[ October 06, 2003, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Hey CT, a medical question for you while I know you are posting. Is it true that it takes adults a lot longer to recover from having tonsils removed than it does kids?
AJ
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Ahh, AJ, I really don't know. I never see adults recovering from tonsil removal! But it would make sense, as kids seem to be especially resilient.
Would you like me to look it up?
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Wow, this thread really exploded!
Anna, I feel your pain with the apples. I had a crab-apple tree at our Champaign Urbana house and a corrigated plastic patio shade. The two kept me up many nights. *Plunk, brrrrrappp*
CT, *giggle* You're way on, girl! And even when you're not, you're still a blast to have around.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Please, I have a consultation with an Ear Nose and Throat specialist on Wednesday after a referral from my GP but I like to know as much ahead of time.
It appears from my internet research so far that adult patients complain more than children but that isn't actually indicitave of the pain. No where can I find how long it would be before I could return to work either.
AJ
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I was laughing at the idea of you and sndrake furtively waving to each other from across the crowded coffee shop CT. Seemed like a funny image.
By the way, I got your email message, and am composing a reply. I'm kind of busy at work today, though, so it may take a little while for me to actually finish it.
Christy, I know what you mean. In the last house I lived in, there were these towering evergreen trees (some of the tallest in the state, actually) that had these long (about 4-6 inches) dense, bullet shaped pine cones. The squirrels apparently thought it was all sorts of fun to nibble them loose from the branches and send them hurtling down to the roof of my house. Did I mention that the house had a metal roof?
The first time this happened was at night, and it absolutely scared the crap out of me.
The pine cones were destroying the roof, though, so after we moved out the owner had them cut down. Too bad; those were great trees.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Noeman, the first time I heard it I was home alone and thought there was someone out in the back yard! Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
"Elizabeth: I don't think there's a Dinsosaur Barbecue in Rochester (I could be wrong)"
Lucky for you, you are wrong! I dined there by myself last December, after the first night of Donna the Buffalo's Winterfest shows. I was very, um, well, TIRED, yes, that's it, tired, and the barbecue hit the spot, and turned my day around.
As a result, I went on a barbecue binge for about three months after I got home, and gained about fifteen pounds. They sell Dinosaur barbecue sauce in Stop and Shop, and I heat up deli roast beef, mix in the sauce, and it is soooo good.
The restaurant was right in the middle of the downtown section.
"I'm glad you haven't fallen for the hype that Vermont has been spreading about its cheese. We know what's best."
Yes, well, thanks a lot. I am trying to lose weight, and I had such a hankerin' for sharp, sharp cheddar that I went to the store, bought the sharpest NY cheddar I could find, and ate about half the stick.
"'m trying to find out if they have spencers at the orchard I go to in Rochester."
My friend said they are about a week late this year, and they are late apples anyway, so they should still be in season if the orchard grows them.
"Speaking of fresh "macs"..."
Yes, Hatrack Mack is the freshest apple I know!
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
to all the very kind comments - I'm rushing. Specific replies later. But thanks.
It's been one of those days when stuff hit the fan unexpectedly. As a result of which, I did an interview for taping with Michigan Public Radio earlier. Don't know when it will be on. I'm gonna see if there's a way I can catch it online. GRRR. Had about 10 minutes to prepare myself.
Think I did OK, but you never know exactly what they will slice and dice out of your comments. As difficult as they are, I prefer live interviews - it's the closest you have to total control over your message.
See y'all after I get home. I have an enormous amount of work to do to prepare for leaving. Some of it involves stuff at home. Gotta rearrange things and stuff for Diane's (AKA my partner/girlfriend/ladylove) mother coming to visit while I'm gone.
Don't get the wrong impression about Diane's mom and me. We get along real well. A tactical reality of our lives is that Diane needs a certain amount of physical support during her day. Driving, for one. She doesn't need much, but what she does need is necessary. No biggie. We deal. If mom couldn't come, we would have hired an assistant an hour a day and a driver.
Wow... thread drift. It's real. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote:sndrake, the next time my husband and I do a Chicago weekend, we'd love to treat you to dinner. Or, should the heebie-jeebies about meeting online folk be an issue, we can sit at opposite ends of Starbucks and briefly wave at one another.
That last bit really made me smile. I used to hang out a lot with folks who were "certified" asperger/autism types. Real face to face interactions were often elegant (and sometimes not so elegant) dances between wanting to make a connection and keep from being overwhelmed at the same time. I am not autistic, but there is some shared space in the land of the neurologically weird - and I was the one who was the catalyst for the coining of the term "cousin," which is used in certain parts of the autism community.
Dinner, Starbucks - either is great. Diane might be enticed to go, depending on how cold it is or (more likely) her workload.
Not sure what to make of that "red herring" thing. There's no such animal as "hydrocephalus neurological syndrome," but there are some real differences in the way I interact with the world that don't get explained well by heredity or environment. Thanks for the kind words.
Believe it or not, there are some doctors out there who like me. My primary physician likes me and its mutual - he likes the work that I do and we seem to have similar values. I like the fact that he says things like "I don't know - I'll have to do some reading and get back to you." and then he does. It's not much to ask, is it? Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote:Well, sn, you fit in so naturally here that it feels like you've been around much longer than you have; Hatrack fits you like a glove, and I'm glad to have you here.
Noemon,
(I already did the blushing thing)- thanks. It feels very comfortable here. And it does feel like longer - I mean that in a good way, I hasten to add.
Course at first I wasn't sure - someone accused me of being Balder in disguise shortly after I started posting.
(This is a test to see if Icarus is still reading this thread.)
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Elizabeth,
I'll see if I can convince my folks to try out Dinosaur when I'm visiting. Don't know if it's still in business, but my personal favorite used to be "Country Sweet Chicken n' Ribs." I used to live 2 blocks from one and became addicted to meaty chicken wings drenched in searing spicy hot honey mustard sauce.
Guess for those of us who want to diet, we're pretty well out of luck right now. The cheese is calling. And we can't decide to to Atkins, where cheese is OK, because then we can't have apples or cider or barbecue sauce.
TANJ!
And we all seem to agree on "fresh macs," even Mac.
Apple rating: The Northwest Greenings are a bit of a disappointment. They are so hard, they're difficult to bite into. They're still tasty, though. I'll attack the next one with a knife and cut off slices.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
quote:Course at first I wasn't sure - someone accused me of being Balder in disguise shortly after I started posting.
Yeah, but you can't judge your status here by what Icarus says. That guy's just a jerk!
-o-
In my defense, you should point out that it wasn't over anything political, like the occasional troll hysteria we get, but over a series of really bad puns! Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Noemon, no worries. It isn't a message that requires reply. (I'd forgotten about my most recent comment above, and my mind was just being fanciful. )
quote:Not sure what to make of that "red herring" thing. There's no such animal as "hydrocephalus neurological syndrome," but there are some real differences in the way I interact with the world that don't get explained well by heredity or environment. Thanks for the kind words.
Ah, dear, I didn't even think about the fact that someone might link neurological differences with hydrocephalus. It was just one of the things we've come to know about you, like me having big feet, or Pat looking like George Clooney, or Anne Kate being an engineer. Might as well said "it's not the engineer part of Anne Kate that makes her so unusual (although that is nifty in itself), it's that and all the quirky mix that makes her such a strong presence here."
(I think of Hatrack as a place where people can stretch wings and help each other -- we can be more than our jobs, more than good writers, more than goofy dweebs, more in all ways. "It's all good," to quote someone from the past. )
So I didn't even think you might read the comment as possibly perturbing, although I certainly should have. My online self-censors haven't been quite up to speed lately! (in so many ways, egads)
I wrote "congenital jatrequeroism" as a reference to the way some of us feel we finally found our home here -- as if the link were there before the actual connection was made. And then I remembered you noted you'd had congential hydrocephalus, and so I thoughtlessly punned (?sort of?) on that, without any consideration for how it could be interpreted.
My apologies for any trouble to you, sndrake. If it's any help, my picture of you is as someone who is strong and yet careful with that strength -- and advocate who moves the world in large ways, but treats individuals with great gentleness. I like what I know of you from your webpage and those you link to, and I like your interactions here a lot. I think of you in terms of my own work as the sort of person I would be delighted to work with.
quote:Believe it or not, there are some doctors out there who like me.
Honestly, I would have never anticipated otherwise. I remember when reading your page (and those of your friends online) that it must at time be very difficult to remain pleasant in the face of indifferent ignorance. The only way to effect lasting change in people who have no idea they are being harmful is to do it gently, to be vulnerable to that hurtfulness but to not strike back out of fear. Your friend on the speaking tour with his wife uses humor so effectively. And yet I remember very clearly how he related that once someone's utter thoughtlessness at praising his wife for marrying him -- not the sappy "oh how unkind" thoughtlessness, but the abyss of warped view of him as a man that this revealed -- made him so angry that he was glad his wife was there to help him think clearly.
You, I know, are not him. But you do seem to share the same awareness of how medicine can be utterly blind to itself and its preconceptions.
It's no wonder for me that your physicians like you -- it's just a wonder to me that you like physicians.
[ October 07, 2003, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
(And if I've just rammed my foot even farther down my throat, either with sndrake or Noemon, or anyone for that matter, let me . That is, take off my hat, eat it, and mind my manners. )
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Stick your foot in your mouth? With me?
::thinks CT may have developed a crack habit lately::
I can't imagine what it is that you think you said that would have bothered me CT, but rest assured that there was no offense taken!
Frankly, I don't think you *could* say something that I'd feel offended by. I think I'd just assume that I was misunderstanding what you were saying if it looked like you were saying something offensive; that kind of thing just isn't you CT, so I'd know that I was reading it wrong.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Turned out Icarus was still checking the thread out:
quote:Yeah, but you can't judge your status here by what Icarus says. That guy's just a jerk!
Well, I figured that out after so many Hatrackers emailed me saying the same thing!
Hey, I shouldn't complain really. As a result of your "j'accuse" post, Ms. Card went and checked out my webpage.
quote:In my defense, you should point out that it wasn't over anything political, like the occasional troll hysteria we get, but over a series of really bad puns!
Well, "bad pun" is kind of redundant, isn't it?
Anyway, that series was nothing - did you check this out?
Taking Chances Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Noemon, cool. And thanks. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Sure! Sent you an email message, by the way.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
ClaudiaTherese,
Please don't wig out. For me, in difficult discussions, there's an inevitable tension between replying in a timely manner and getting the wording right. I'm erring on the side of being timely due to the fact that I'm uncertain of how much access I'll have until Sunday.
I did not take offense. No need to feel like there's a foot in your mouth.
When we're discussing things like brain damage, differences, etc., we're all in very uncertain waters. I've come to believe, as an advocate and activist, that it's important for people to know that I really do have a brain that had to rewire itself due to stuff that happened early in my life. And, for me, anyway, there's no way to separate those differences of neurology with the person I have become.
I'm wondering how much you read of my page. Depending on how far you went, you'd find sooner or later that I don't always handle ignorance with patience and understanding. Part of the problem is, some of the people I end up dealing with really do know better. Sometimes, the stakes are just too high for being polite. (For an example of what I mean, you could check out No Mercy. The editor of the Chicago Tribune described me as "too confrontational."
Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand, there is no reason to apologize. No offense was taken. I operate under the assumption that the vast majority of people here don't intend to offend when they write either. It's not my intent to give any here either.
I get paid to do that.
This is playtime.
[ October 07, 2003, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
CT et al,
First, apologies for an oops - the quote by the editor was "unnecesarily confrontational."
Second, I should have given a "spoiler" warning - the article links to one that has a picture of me. And getting visuals of online people freaks some people out.
Third, I really don't look like that picture all the time. I smile and laugh a lot, even when it's hard. Sometimes when it's the most hard.
Last, if the previous post was seen as offensive in any way, please don't assume I intended it that way. I don't always end up with the message I intended when I'm in a hurry.
Try to get on later... Gotta leave to catch Diane's mom at the train station soon.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Well, I'm safely in Charlotte, SC. Interesting gathering of people in the disability community. Dinner was a special treat. I live in the midwest, so having access to great seafood is something rare. The she-crab chowder was excellent, as was the crab-stuffed grouper.
And, of course, I brought my apples with me. I had a Macoun on the plane. Had a honeycrisp before dinner.
Gonna sign off - I'm beat and I hate typing on laptops. I used to like them, but that was many years ago, when the keyboards were at the bottom edge. Moving the keys up makes things more difficult when you have a tremor.
Night all.
[ October 08, 2003, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
I want to say that you all have made me see the light! I was able to find some honeycrisp apples in our local grocery and they have to be the BEST apples I've ever had! Too bad I can't find any Macoun here. I'm sure they would be great, too. Mmmm!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Do you like delicous apples Christy? I ask because I'm trying to decide whether I would like honeycrisp apples, and delicious apples are pretty much the opposite of everything I find good about apples. If you like 'em, I'll assume that honeycrips wouldn't be to my taste. If you despise them, I'll give honeycrisps a try.
Oh, and by the way, sndrake--you have now made history as the first person other than Larry Niven to ever use the "word" "TANJ" with anything other than derision for its creator. Just thought you'd like to know. Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
I can't believe that they called you "too confrontational" when they themselves were describing the incident.
I don't think you look scary at all, in fact if you had a suntan and some boardshorts you would look like a middle aged surfer dude, which are dime a dozen in CA.
AJ
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Red delicious apples? I detest them. They are watery and waxy and have almost a starchy sweet flavor.
Usually I eat Gala and Jongold. MacIntosh are too soft, but have good flavor. I don't eat many green apples for some reason.
Honeycrisp are very sweet for an apple, but I found I liked it. There is a hint of tart, but not really. The crispness is everything you'd ever want from an apple. It bit perfectly.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Noemon,
I always thought Niven was the creator of TANJ. From context, it sounds like using the term without derision for its creator is uncool. Makes sense - I tend to the definition of "uncool" in "Almost Famous." (I could also be misreading you - pretty tired right now.)
AJ, thanks for the comments on the picture. As it happens, my mother absolutely hates it. It's one of very few nonsmiling pictures of me and it's one of my favorites.
Yesterday, I encountered one of the most impressive saleswomen ever at the open air market. As a few of us were reading a few of the really outrageous hot sauce names in her huge selection (many of which would be frowned upon or even deleted here), she shoved free samples of sugar-coated roasted pecans and almonds at me. I'd eaten very little all day. no sales resistance left at all. I bought a bag of each. There may even be some left for Diane when I get home.
S'all for now. More seafood adventures tomorrow night!
[ October 10, 2003, 12:05 AM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Sndrake, I am a chile pepper fanatic. I used to get Chile Pepper magazine, and i know the naughty, saucy names of which you speak! Liz
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Elizabeth,
Yeah - I love hot sauces but I saw some names I hadn't seen. My favorite is an oriental one that has become very hard to find - pepper sate. Great for stir-fries. If I get to go back tomorrow, I may get a bottle of Carolina Road Kill for a souvenir.
Christy, I can get galas in the stores here after the market closes down so I usually don't get them at the market. One of the really disappointing things about Chicago area supermarkets - the major ones, anyway - is their failure to carry any regional inseason produce. AJ, have you found this as well or do you have a source I don't know about?
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
PS to anyone who's vaguely interested in what Diane looks like. You can check her out on the CBS evening news Saturday or Sunday. Sorry I can't be more exact, but that's all they've told us.
It's about a case involving a woman in Florida whose life depends on tube-feeding. Her husband wants the tube removed and her family wants her kept alive and to get rehabilitation therapy.
Until now, the press has ignored the fact that about a dozen disability groups filed a brief opposing the husband and supporting the family. Over the course of the last week, it's like someone finally read the legal briefs and the press releases. I wish I could figure the press out.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Christy--okay, if you despise delicious apples, you and I are officially on the same page, apple-wise. I'll be getting a honeycrisp the next time I go to the store.
Sndrake--Niven definitely is the creator of TANJ; sorry if I was unclear up there. Do you use that acronym in conversation too? Niven's use of that in Ringworld has always been proof positive, to me, that authors shouldn't try to make up swear words.
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
heh, potter-stewarted. heh.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote:Sndrake--Niven definitely is the creator of TANJ; sorry if I was unclear up there. Do you use that acronym in conversation too? Niven's use of that in Ringworld has always been proof positive, to me, that authors shouldn't try to make up swear words.
*sigh* - I haven't used it frequently, but I have used it. I like the sentiment, but agree it doesn't work very well in conversation. (I've also been known to use words like "groovical" which makes the use of "TANJ" totally unremarkable coming from me.)
The exception to the rule you've stated about authors and swear words might be "frel," which apparently caught on with a fair number of people. I'm not one of them. It's too cool for me. Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
frak.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
frik? (I'm home!) Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Went out for apples again today with my family. Tried Macoun, mmmmm! They taste just like apple cider. Tom tried Swiss gourmet and he really liked that, but it was a bit sweet for me. It was the growers favorite. I still think my new favorite is honeycrisp. The lady at the orchard also had some great little pears. What a great day.
Edit: Oh, I also made a very interesting pie today that turned out delicious. Apple rhubarb. I had promised my mom a rhubarb pie a while ago and had put the rhubarb in my freezer. I no longer have any strawberries so I decided to substitute apples. It was great!
[ October 12, 2003, 07:14 PM: Message edited by: Christy ]
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
*bump*
Christy, glad to see another person drawn to the power of Macouns.
I'm in Rochester today and got to go to Schutts apple orchard. The bad news: No spencers.
Have to track those down later Elizabeth.
The good news is I got 4 varieties. I picked some macouns (big surprise) - they seem sweeter here than the ones in Illinois. Tried an ultra as well. Not bad. Less sweet than a macoun, but not as crisp.
Still have to try my pink ladies and holidays.
I've been working far more than I planned to. Going to try for a trip to Naples tomorrow. The foliage is peaking and there are some great grape pies to be had there.
Charleston spoiled me for seafood - it will be awhile before I can face the thawed seafood served in the midwest. Maybe I can find some decent seafood in Winston-Salem, NC next week.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
*bump*
Because it's that time of year again!
Just got back from the farmer's market and am munching on a macoun between sentences.
It's so hard - struggling with wanting to go with old favorites and wanting to test new varieties.
I compromised - OK, I wimped out mostly.
I bought macouns, swiss gourmets, and honey crisps.
But, in my defense, I did boldly go and scarf up some lustre eldars, and so avoided being a total weenie.
I'll do better next week.
The macoun is a little on the tart side - more than is usual. Doesn't spoil the apple, but it's not what I was expecting. Wonder if it's because these are the early parts of the crop?
More reports to come...
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I was thinking of this thread today!
I cannot really eat apples anymore, because my allergy has gotten worse. Waaaah! I am going to try the tartests Macintoshes, but I think even they might make me itch.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Elizabeth,
I'm so sorry to hear that. The same thing happened to me with melons - everything but watermelon. Over a period of years, I became more and more sensitive to melons and stopped eating them since it was clear the allergy was getting worse. I still miss them.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Steven! I thought of you yesterday as well. I am so jealous, though! I have to wait another week for my Macouns and Honeycrisps where it sounds like they are already in season in Chicago. My mom went out and got Honeycrisps, too. *green with envy*
We did get some nice Ginger Crisps which we had never tried before and were very good. I also tried some Wealthy for baking that I will use with my Gala at the recommendation of the grower. I really like this woman since she grows so many varieties and is great about letting you try them and letting you know what she thinks of them and what they're good for. You walk in and she immediately has knife and apples in hand to show off her crop. I have a whole list now of the apples she has this season and the weeks they will be available. Yaay!
Sorry to hear your Macouns are a bit tart, although I'm still jealous you have them already. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Christy,
I get up at 5 am on Saturdays this time of year just so I can be ready to get to the farmer's market early. Not just any market - the one in Oak Park, about 10 miles from home.
One of the vendors has approximately 25-30 different apple varieties. The orchard they own boasts over 100 varieties. Lots and lots to choose from. And the staff know their apples - they've never misled me on texture or taste when it comes to apples - and they're always ready with a knife to start slicing samples for people.
After my second macoun, I'm really disappointed. It's really tart - much more like a regular old mac than a macoun.
The good news is the Swiss Gourmets and Honey Crisps taste just the way they should.
Great news is that the Lustre Eldars turn out to be just my kind of eating apple - crisp, sweet, with a hint of tartness.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I *love* Golden delicious apples. Most of the ones I see in the supermarket are green, but the ones I'm talking about are solid yellow and the size of a softball. They are the sweetest apple I've ever had. They're not quite as crisp as some other apples I've had, but they're divine.
I think you can only get them in California, though. Sad.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
sarcasticmuppet,
my advice, FWIW, is to see if there are any farmers' markets near you with a decent apple vendor. Many, maybe most, are like the ones at the market I go to now. Tell them what you like, and they can make suggestions about what apple varieties of their own might come closest in texture and taste.
That was my situation when I did without macouns for a few years. They're still my favorites, maybe for sentimental reasons, but there are plenty of other apples that filled the void quite nicely.
Sndrake, the fresh apple evangelist Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
apple apple apple apple apple apple apple apple MUSHROOM MUSHROOM! AH! Worm! A worm! Worm it's a worm! Ooooooo it's a worm!
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
(Judging from that last post, I'd say it's more likely Telperion's been into the mushrooms than the apples. I can tell. Cuz I saw a TV show about it or something. )
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
snicker the badgers are taking over the forum
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
What is this badger thing I keep hearing about?
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
[ September 11, 2004, 09:25 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote:You people are very strange.
Uh, Dag, you ought to look at your post count.
You, my friend, are part of "you people."
(It's night time - I only want to deal with fluff. I'll get back to the serious threads tomorrow.)
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
^ | | |-------- If you want the footy, sndrake, you have to do the badger first.
I'm just sayin.' Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
I MUST send Footy on to my King friends... several soccer fans and one guy who's moving here to the States from England to be with his lady love (awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww)
Goody
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
oh, and speaking of post counts.... i've managed to double mine in a week? LOL
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Fascinating - I couldn't find an entry anywhere for a "Lustre Eldar" apple. Finally, I did come across an entry for "Lustre Elstar" - this is probably the apple variety I bought today.
Unlike the batch of macouns, the Elstars are LESS tart than they are supposed to be. Which is fine with me - puts the apple firmly in the "great snack" range.
Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
quote:Icarus, try peeling an apple and see if you have the same reaction! I'm really curious to know the results.
I want to respond too. I find that the irritation/itchiness is definitely to something in the peel. This also explains why I have a problem with red apples, but not yellow ones.
What I used to do in college was to cut the apples from the dining hall into quarters, sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar from the shaker kept near the toaster, and then nuke them for about a minute and a half. Semi-baked apples... Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Oral Allergy Syndrome is more common than it is diagnosed. Many fruits cause reactions in persons who are allergic to the pollens; e.g., apples cause reaction in those allergic to the tree pollen, and melons cross-react with ragweed pollen (same family).
Symptoms range from a mild burning/itchy feeling when eating the raw fruit to full-blown anaphylaxis (rare). Usually the cooked fruit can be handled with ease, although sometimes it may cause abdominal cramping and diarrhea (see above - this is rare, too).
Yozhik, I bet you'd test quite positive on an allergic skin test. Do you have problems with seasonal allergies?
[Cooooool ... Alton Brown has an apple show this am. ]
[ September 12, 2004, 08:04 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Sara, My oral allergy has noe traveled to my lungs, and it feels like little needles are in them. It is killing me right now,as we have a big apple farm down the road, and it is time for some killer Macs. Waaah.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Oooooooowwww.
Have you seen a professional about this? If you live where your allergy is, you might not just consider medication, but also "allergy shots" to build up tolerance?
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote: And some of us are proud of that fact, Dag
Hell, I’m strange and proud of that fact. But sometimes it just needs reiterating.
quote: Uh, Dag, you ought to look at your post count.
You, my friend, are part of "you people."
(It's night time - I only want to deal with fluff. I'll get back to the serious threads tomorrow.)
I understand. Luck for me, Eve likes strange.
quote:Have you seen a professional about this? If you live where your allergy is, you might not just consider medication, but also "allergy shots" to build up tolerance?
Can allergy tests determine if someone is allergic to cats? I've had some issues, but haven't been exposed enough to know for sure. We want to buy two kittens, but not if it's going to make me wheezy all the time.
Dagonee
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Yup. Pinprick test on the skin to look for a local wheal-and-flare reaction. Your insurance may or may not cover it -- the details can be Byzantine -- but your primary care doctor should be able to help and would (likely) be necessary for the referral.
Be aware that allergists tend to be booked ahead for months, so it's worth looking into soon if you want the information before Christmas.
[ September 12, 2004, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Now how did you know that Christmas was in the plans? Although we actually just decided to get fish this Christmas and kitties over the summer when I can be home every night. I want them to like me, too.
Thanks for the info. Off to read up on Eve's health benefits.
Dagonee
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Good luck. Tell us what happens if you do it!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Dags, Good luck getting a Christmas kitten! I think VA is cold enough that they do not breed at that time. Ask a vet, but we had a dickens of a time finding one, and ended up with a ringworm-infested six month old cat that we were told was a twelve week old kitten. She is a dear, sweet, beautiful cat now, but it was not fun when the family got ringworm.
Sara, I am still OK with Granny Smith apples, and I can eat any cooked fruit. It is raw nuts(which I LOVE), peaches, apples, and cherries(the worst). Plums are OK, for some reason.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Allergy patterns are so odd. It's hard to predict what will happen, which will get worse and what ones may later develop. They are such a source of misery, too.
[ September 12, 2004, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
I just have to let y'all know that our baby is now addicted to: Monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey,MUSHROOM,MUSHROOM......after reading this thread last night.
Yaay, Steven! Glad the Elstars turned out to be great, even though the Macouns weren't.
Made a yummy apple pie last night and am now calling it breakfast. *grin*
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
*comprehension (maybe) about badgers and footies will have to wait until tomorrow, when I am using computers that can handle the stuff on those lines.*
Maybe I'll understand what the heck y'all are talking about after that. Or not.
I'm cool either way.
Christy, why do I keep seeing this sign hanging somewhere in your kitchen? (not that I know what your kitchen looks like)
"PIE: NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE"
[ September 12, 2004, 11:11 AM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
*bump*
If for no other reason than this:
I intend to copy and paste parts about apple varieties I've tried, along with the recommendations of others, into a master "apple file" for reference during future apple seasons.
We've had a dry season in Illinois - the apples are running very small.
Never heard of them before - turns out they're really popular in England, though. Good apple, even if it's not quite as crisp as I usually like. Manages to be sweet and tangy at the same time, with a slight spicy tang I can't quite pin down. This will probably be my only sampling of them this year - the vendor said last week's batch was the last of the harvest, and mentioned they only have a few trees.
I have some Sweet Sixteens with me as well - they're familiar from last year. Not quite as sweet as a red delicious, and nicely crisp.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
I have developed a taste for green apples.
Before, I liked red. Now I like them green.
Green apples are crisper, and have more verve. Green apples have gumption and moxy.
Red is dead.
Posted by xnera (Member # 187) on :
Now I have a craving for apples. What apples make the best apple pie? If I get the house cleaned quickly enough then maybe--MAYBE--I will make a pie for my party. Though my pie-making skills are only so-so. Still, APPLE PIE!!! YUM!!!
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
(at Scott)
Most of the apples I get at the market shouldn't really be called "red" - they're more a mixture of red, yellow, and green (pinkish hues here and there as well).
They have style and flavor!
But to be honest, I don't really care about the style - it's all about taste and texture.
Edit to add: We have a few pie-bakers who've posted on this thread. Hopefully, one of them can help you out with the pie suggestions. Never been a pie baker myself.
[ September 22, 2004, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I grew up with a 100-tree apple orchard, sndrake. I have definite favorites (The orchard basically died after a particularly bad hail/wind storm, so it is no longer, although I hope to replant it all someday).
What are some of your favorites?
Farmgirl
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
By the way, Stephen, this site has a wonderful gallery of photos of different varieties to try...
FG
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Hey Farmgirl,
Macouns have been my number one favorite for years. Unfortunately, the crop of macouns this year in Illinois are running very tart - to the point where they don't really taste like what I expect from Macouns.
I like Swiss Gourmets and Honeycrisps.
But basically, I like apples ranging from mildly tart to mildly sweet and very crisp. I'm trying to build systematic knowledge of the varieties that meet that profile.
It's a project I should have begun long ago - but I'm having fun with it now. Fun diversion for about 7 weeks each year.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
quote:Christy, why do I keep seeing this sign hanging somewhere in your kitchen? (not that I know what your kitchen looks like)
"PIE: NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE"
*giggle* I managed to miss that last comment, Stephen! Although my kitchen bears no such adornment, I may just have to remedy that.
Pie apples: I usually use Jonagold and Cortland, but I tried Wealthy this last time. It depends on what you want your pie to be like. The Wealthy broke down so that the apples were mushy and I combined that with some Gala which stayed whole.
We're going to be away this weekend at Karen's and were away last weekend at the Oz fest, so I'm getting worried that I'll run out of apples. *grin*
Karen -- if I can squeeze the time, I'll bake an apple pie for your party!
[ September 22, 2004, 03:29 PM: Message edited by: Christy ]
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
quote:What apples make the best apple pie?
I use Granny Smiths for pie, but I don't experiment much and have never heard of most of the varieties mentioned in this thread.
Grannys are a little tart eaten as is, which I think balances well against the sugar and spices added to the pie. And they hold up well (at least in my opinion) in baking. I typically pile up to about 3 inches over the rim of the pieplate while uncooked, so that when they cook down I still have a nice dome.
Goody
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I don't know if anyone answered your question, Sndrake...
the reason cider has trace amounts of protein while apple juice doesn't is that there are bugs in cider, from the frementing process and the way cider is made.
Worms, and the occasional flying bug...
YummY!
Kwea
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Thanks, Kwea.
I had the answer already.
I figured the reason nobody had replied was because they were all in denial - an underrated and much maligned coping mechanism. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
I got a bunch of varieties this time at the market - haven't even had time to try to remember and try them all yet.
So far, though...
Red Haralson - but it might also be called a Haralred, I think. Anyway, the taste is nice - tart, but not over-the-top. Tough, not crisp, but still juicy. Not bad.
Holiday - large, really crisp, really juicy. Great mildly tart flavor. Turns out it's a fairly recent hybrid, coming from Macoun and Jonathan parentage.
Sunday I had Holiday apple slices with peanut butter for breakfast. It was yummy. Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Finally got my honeycrisps! And I had them with peanut butter on Friday
I'm so impressed with your success at trying new variaties! We don't have either of those here.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Christy,
How many varieties are available at the orchard or market you go to? There's a big variety - and it changes each week - at the market I go to on Saturdays.
Two more to review:
Prima - large, almost pinkish apple. Mildly sweet. Decent flavor. Both of which were more or less spoiled for me due to the texture. Very soft and relatively dry - no juice dripping on my hands from this apple. I don't think it's because they're old, these are all pretty fresh apples. Could just be how they're supposed to be.
Melrose - On the small side. Fairly crisp, with an amazingly tough skin. Ideal taste profile for me - mildly tart, a little sweet. Nice apple.
Good news on Macouns - turns out if I only pick out the larger one, I get the taste I'm looking for. It's only the smaller ones that are over the top in their tartness.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Had to dig this thread up.
There are probably about fifty varieties or so at the orchard we go to. Its amazing how many of the farmers market orchards just sell the common varieties. I haven't heard of either of the two varieties you reviewed.
The Macouns are supposedly really affected by when they are taken off the tree. If they're left on the tree longer they become sweeter.
We just tried Fortune, Sparta, more Honeycrisps and I want to say Fireside, but I'm not sure about that. Fortune is a WONDERFUL apple! Apple cider in an apple with a medium texture. The skin is a bit tough, but it was well worth it for the goodness inside.
What I remember as the fireside is a small keeper apple, but I haven't tried that one yet.
We also got some Macintosh for pies, which I don't usually do, but it made a good pie.
Only one more good weekend left for apples up here. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Shoot!
I'm in Rochester, NY and passed up some Fortunes when we went to the orchard yesterday.
I branched out and tried a few new ones last week - have to get my notes upstairs later. But one I remember is the Cameo - nice little apple, crisp, with a tart and mildly sweet flavor.
I think the apple crop here in upstate NY is maybe a little behind the Southern Illinois apples I've been getting at home. The [i]macouns[/1] looked kinda green.
Have snacked twice so far on triscuits, ultra sharp cheddar and cider. Yummm....
The sound of the triscuits crunching drowns out the sound of my arteries clogging.
Life is good. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Just a couple quick notes:
Keepsake apples are kinda lumpy and small, but are of the crisp, juicy, and sweet/tart variety.
If you have a real sweet tooth, the honey gold would be your apple. Absolutely the sweetest apple I've ever tasted. It's crossed with a golden delicious and something else.
I'm still in Rochester. I converted my 5-year-old nephew into being an apple fan. He decided he didn't like apples some time back, but decided to try a slice of what I was eating since I obviously enjoyed it.
A slice of a honeycrisp apple won him over - not just because it was sweet, but because of the juiciness. (He has decided that they are better without peanut butter, though.)
And I discovered that my 16-month-old niece has already discovered the power of cheese.
She gobbled down a few slivers of my sharp cheddar with glee.
Time to do laundry followed by packing. Back home tonight.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I had a winesap the other day that just had exquisite flavor. The texture was slightly more granular than I like, but not bad at all. I had something else too, that was even better, but the name escapes me, frustratingly enough. Red something-or-other. More tart than either a Jonathan or a Winesap. I'm going back to that farmer's market tomorrow, so I should be able to find out (and get a big sack of them) then.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Yaay, more adorable apple converts!
Edit: *giggle* I think m "fireside" were keepsake. Don't know where fireside came from. My poor little brain!
[ October 13, 2004, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: Christy ]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
So how do you eat your apples? I take it that sndrake is a slicer, and likes to put stuff on them. I prefer to eat mine whole (a bite at a time, mind you) at room temperature or slightly warmer (as from hanging from their trees in the late afternoon sun).
Anybody else had pets that like apples? When I was very small we had a dog that loved apples. She was a german shepherd, and pretty much took care of all the windfall apples under our trees. She also liked grapes, which was a bit of a pain, since she could reach the grape vines with no problem, and would often go along the row of vines devouring all the grapes before we could harvest them.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Christy,
Seems like a natural semantic glitch to me. Keepsakes are often arranged around the fireside, after all.
Noemon,
I eat most of my apples the way you do. Bite by bite at room temperature. Sometimes, though, when I need something more substantial I'll do the peanut butter thing for breakfast or a snack - it adds protein and fat to the carbs, fiber and water in the apples. And it tastes great.
I brought out the slices with my nephew simply because I know this 5-year-old pretty well. He's not a voracious eater. A slice of an apple looks a whole lot less daunting than a whole one, even if you tell him he doesn't have to eat the whole thing. Offering a slice instead of a whole apple was a pretty big factor in his decision to go ahead and try.
Haven't had any pets that seemed crazy about apples, but I doubt your dog is the only one out there with a craving for fruit. Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Mostly I eat mine whole and refrigerated, but I am also known to slice with an apple corer and spread peanut butter on top. I also love caramel apples and usually dip a few once during the season. I make applesauce, but haven't this year and I usually make two or three pies which I may top this year. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I love to core a nice, tart apple bake it, and eat it plain. The apple itself is fairly good, but the syrup that develops from it is one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. Other people like to pack the empty core space with spices, nuts, raisins, and butter, I know, but I prefer mine plain.
The dog loved apples and grapes, but she hated peaches. If you threw her a peach she'd catch it, let it drop, and look very offended. An apple would mollify her though.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'll have to try the peanut butter thing. I'm not a huge peanut butter fan, honestly, but it's worth a try.
Very tart apple slices aren't bad when thinly coated with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, but I prefer the whole apple.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
You have to eat the apple in toto if you want to gnaw around the core. (I haven't looked at a core the same way since Comfort Me with Apples.)
Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
I've just been appled.
I now have so many apples that I'm scared.
While grocery shopping my husband picked up a gigantic bag of yellow/greenish apples and my mother just gave us a bushel of the same, yet different, apples from Florida.
I already had four Granny Smith apples in a cute bowl on the counter.
Now I've been invaded.
I want to feed my family and the birds some apple treats.
Do you have any favorite recipes for either?
Help me!
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I bought a full bag of Honey Crisp apples at the grocery store this week. The cashier was a little worried that I’d just grabbed the first apples I saw and didn’t realize how expensive they were going to be.
I assured him that my choice was informed and intentional. Yum!
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
I have to state that here because I've sworn three times that I wouldn't go back there.
[ October 15, 2004, 03:11 PM: Message edited by: Tammy ]
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
If you feel the need for a disclaimer for anything said in that thread, you’re probably right not to play it anymore. No worries.
So far I’m just eating the Honey Crisps plain.
Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
The problem is that I really liked posting in that thread.
Wayyyy to much!
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
*Bump*
Because that time of the year just started gearing up a couple weeks ago.
Only a few varieties are ripening right now. Between the farmers market and the roadside stand I stopped at last weekend, I've only tried three varieties so far:
William's Pride - a small apple (I don't know if that's typical or the result of the Midwest drought), red, slightly crisp and very juicy. Taste ran from mildly tart to sweet-tart in the ones I bought.
Viking - similar in appearance to the first apple, it was a little drier and less firm. Slightly sweeter taste.
Pristine - a yellowish apple, looking like a golden delicious, but rounder. It's also less crisp than a golden, but sweet with a hint of tart - and a slightly spicy flavor that is very enjoyable.
Posted by kojabu (Member # 8042) on :
I'm excited for Ithaca's apple festival that they have every year. Lots of apples, cider, and fun.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
I think I say this every year, but no way! It can't be that time of year yet! Where has the summer gone?
I remember seeing (trying?) William's Pride last year and they were small apples.
*makes note to find a weekend for a market trip and to get a schedule from Greens Orchard*
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
My favorite apples are Summer Rambos. Which are off the trees and ready for eating...NOW!
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
kojabu,
I grew up in Upstate NY, which is great apple country. I imagine Ithaca has great orchards and apple varieties.
Christy,
Does your orchard give a schedule regarding when certain varieties are expected to be available? (Most are available for three weeks at best - for fresh ones, anyway.)
Tante,
I'd never heard of Summer Rambos before, but I just looked them up and they sound great. I'm hoping maybe the grower at the Farmers market will have them - I need to look them up on the web sometime to find out how many varieties they do have.
Posted by kojabu (Member # 8042) on :
Where in upstate? My dad is from Waterloo.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
kojabu,
I was raised in Rochester, NY.
My favorite place for apples when I go to visit my family in the fall is Schutt's Apple Mill.
Here's the farm/orchard that keeps me visiting the same Farmers market on Saturday early in the morning here at home.
I got a bunch of new ones today - plus some more Williams Pride and Viking apples. Complete list later.
The one I'm eating right now is a Beacon - which is apparently a newer variety. It's not very crisp, but it's juicy, sweet with a little tartness, and a hint of almost a wine-like flavor.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Two new varieties to report on:
Summer treat - a medium-sized apple, roundish and red/green. Not very crisp, mildly sweet. A pleasant, but not very interesting, plain old eating apple.
Red Free -- Red, round, with irregular shape. Hands-down, the juiciest apple variety I've bitten into this year. Crisper than I usually like (and that's saying something). It's tart and sweet - heavy on the tart side. I found the taste really grew on me after the initial blast of tartness.
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
If you're looking for something to do with apples, try making apple sorbet. I don't remember the recipe off the top of my head (I made it a few weeks ago, but now I'm 1000 miles away from the book with the recipe), but it had about four green appples, a cup of clear unsweetened apple juice, 3/4 cups sugar, and the juice of two limes. Actually, I think I got it. Oh, and there was probably 1/2 or 1/4 tsp salt. As a variation of the recipe I also added (I think these are the right measurements) 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg.
You heat the apple juice on the stove and stir in the sugar until completely dissolved and the mixture has thickened into a syrup. Set that aside until it reaches room temperature. Meanwhile, peal and cut up the apples. Throw them in the blender with everything else (including the syrup) and blend until it's as smooth as it will get. Put it into an ice cream maker, and you'll have something that tastes like apple pie and kind of has the texture of frozen apple sauce (though that might be because I used a food processor instead of a blender). I might have missed an ingredient or gotten a measurement wrong, but it looks right to me.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Well, the beginning of the fresh apple season is well underway. My favorite vendor has had several varieties available over the last few weekends at the farmers market.
I haven't gotten too adventurous so yet.
I've stuck with Honey Crisps, Cox Orange Pippins, and a new one that is called (I think) Canadian Mist. But so far I haven't found a description of the variety anywhere so I might be off on the name. (gotta remember my labels next weekend)
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I can't have apples anymore
Or fruit.
Ever again.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Welcome back, sndrake!
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Good to see you again, snrake, and thanks for bumping the thread.
That sucks, mack. No fruit ever? That's just... odd. And depressing.
Apples here are... depressing. We can get only one or two of the common varieties - macintosh or delicious, both of which I have reactions to (they both make me nauseous and vomitous ) and both of which I don't particularly enjoy. Well, yeah, no wonder.
I like galas and ruby and, oh, I don't even remember their names anymore it's been so long. So, I haven't had an apple in over three years.
Back in Canada, the last four years, I lived in the fruit belt, the Okanagan, and the apples there... Oh my! I had friends with orchards, and one in particular had a few trees that were one variety that, because they only had four trees of it, they didn't sell the apples. Instead, they let pretty much any of their friends who wanted come out to their place and pick their own, however much they wanted. One year, I picked I think it was four laundry baskets full of the apples. Most I turned into applesauce, which, of course, I canned. Ah, yes, that was actually fortuitous - that was just before my gallbladder problems, and I went on a no-fat diet and ended up being able to eat nothing other than jello and apple sauce for a month or a couple before I finally had the demmed thing yanked. There goes my applesauce...
But it made mighty mighty fine applesauce - my best batch ever. If I could only recall what the name of that variety was.
I miss applesauce. Not just anyone's applesauce. I miss MY applesauce. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Mack: What happened???
Goody: Thanks! Not sure how much or for how long, but the fact that apple time is here made some sort of re-entry irresistable.
quidsribis: Too bad you can't drop a line to your friend to see if you can determine the variety of the apples you used to pick. Depending on your desire and financial resources, there are some orchards you can order from online, you know.
I can count on September and October as weight-loss months. And that's without even really trying. Eating 2-3 of them per day tends to leave lots less appetite for higher-calorie snacks.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Hey Steven, I was hoping that apple season might draw you out. Hope things are going well for you.
What are Canadian Mists like? For that matter, what about Cox Orange Pippins, for that matter?
I've been thinking that it would be really cool to go to Kazakhstan and pick and eat a truly wild proto-apple.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
I had a fine apple called a Pink Lady. Very firm and fine-textured, good sweet-tart balance.
Summer Rambos remain my favorite, though. Alas, they are ephemeral.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
A good Pink Lady is a wonderful thing. I think that I tried one after having them recommended in this thread a year or two ago, actually.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Macouns were my favorite
Yeah, after all that metabolic stuff this summer and seeing an endocrinologist, the final diagnosis made was that I'm fructose intolerant.
So no more fructose. Ever. And MAN...high fructose corn syrup is in EVERYTHING. Posted by Tænte Shvæster (Member # 9711) on :
Not in EVERYTHING. It's not in you. Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote: Hey Steven, I was hoping that apple season might draw you out. Hope things are going well for you.
What are Canadian Mists like? For that matter, what about Cox Orange Pippins, for that matter?
I've been thinking that it would be really cool to go to Kazakhstan and pick and eat a truly wild proto-apple.
Hey, Noemon. I'm doing fairly well. In the last half of the phases of a cold right now and way too tired most of the time.
Canadian Mists are large and light red. Very crispy and juicy, but low density. Sweet with a slight hint of spice.
Cox Orange Pippins are a fairly old variety (there's an older post on this thread that describes some of that). They are hard and tart/sweet - slightly spicy. On the small side. They also lose their crisp quality fairly quickly, so you have to eat them within a couple days after buying - or store *very* carefully.
Proto-apples? Trying to find a taste of Eden, are we, Noemon?
That will all end in tears. It has in the past, according to some. Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
We went apple picking yesterday and got Fortune and Crispin apples. The Fortune apple I cut up for lunch (to share) was 13 inches around! and it's yummy too! There's nothing like a fresh off the tree apple!
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I saw a nice big Honey Crisp when I went shopping yesterday, and decided to try one since so many people here like it. My review: I don't usually like tart apples, but the tartness of the Honey Crisps kind of wakes your mouth up and then backs off. It was wonderful with peanut butter or on its own. For the good of my bank account, though, I stuck with reliable galas, which are my favorite kind of pack-with-your-lunch apple. Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
it's a slight deviation but this thread is just making me long for the days years ago when my aunt and uncle's apple orchard still made un-pasteurized apple cider... that stuff was like the nectar of the gods, so bummed when they had to start pasteurizing it, and then more bummed when they sold the farm.
Also fond memories of one particularly good year for Ida Reds where I ate one that was the size of a toddler's head...
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
The pple season has been terrible here.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
In fact, the season has been so bad local educators have removed the "A" from apple, because it no longer deserves to be the word used to remind kindergartners of the first letter of the alphabet.
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
I bought some apples from a Michigan orchard, one kind is called Beauty. I just had one, and really liked it. Crisp and a little sweet. I really don't like too much tartness. I also bought a couple Sweet 16s because I heard they are the sweetest apples around and I was curious. I haven't tried them yet.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I just ordered a sampler box of antique apple varieties from www.applesource.com
They have 61 varieties of apple! I wish I'd found them earlier in the season, but I'm bookmarking for next year.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I thought of this thread yesterday, when I picked up a couple honeycrisps and, um, some other kind I've never had but which was mentioned upthread.
Naturally, I left them where I'm staying. But I'll have 'em with lunch.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by dkw: I just ordered a sampler box of antique apple
Eh, I prefer fresh apples.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: some other kind I've never had but which was mentioned upthread.
Macouns. Which it turns out I don't much care for.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
The honeycrisp, OTOH, was absolutely delightful. Should've gotten more of those, and skipped the macouns.
Now that I am back on the Left Coast, I'll have to settle for more familiar varieties. Pretty sure I still have one or two of those lovely, slightly tart Grannies in the fridge.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
My apples arrived. They sent the wrong thing -- standard sampler instead of antique sampler. It includes:
Raritan Rubinette Jonalicious Ashmead's Kernel Stellar Melrose Mutsu Idared King David Doctor Matthews Honey Crisp Grimes Golden
They look yummy, but I was particularly looking forward to some of the varieties in the other sampler. Posted by Astaril (Member # 7440) on :
Is there any way you can return it, or call and see if they'll send you the one you ordered still? At least Ashmead's Kernel is a really good one, in my opinion, though I'm not crazy about Jonalicious or Idared.
There was an Apple Fest here in September that my roommate and I went to, where they had an apple-tasting tent with about 100 varieties of apples, and you had half an hour to try as many slices as you liked. I think I had close to 50 or so. I couldn't remember a lot of the names by the end!
I recall liking Ambrosia, Ashmead's Kernel, Winter Banana (which actually do hint slightly of banana but not in a bad way), and Le... something old and French, among others.
The one I didn't like at all was called "World's Biggest #1" or something like that and it was huge, and I think rotten. I suppose in a sampling of 50 apples, one's bound to have gone off a bit.
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: I thought of this thread yesterday, when I picked up a couple honeycrisps and, um, some other kind I've never had but which was mentioned upthread.
I really like that phrasing. "Mentioned upthread." I think I'm going to have to add that to my post vocabulary.
On-topic: I hadn't ever had a honey crisp until I moved to Minnesota, but since people are crazy about them here I tried one. I am never going back. They're amazing.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Dana, other than the honeycrisp, I've never even heard of most of those! And California produces a LOT of apples, and we also get Washington state apples -- they just seem to be primarily granny smiths, jonathons and jonagolds, deliciouses (which I dislike except for cooking), fujis, galas, pippins, pink ladies, and occasionally mcintoshes, romes, and braeburns. Oh, and once in a long while I see winesaps.
I guess the other kinds need a true frost or something.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I considered buying one of those samplers, but 2 bucks an apple, plus shipping, is too rich for my blood!
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
People are crazy about Honeycrisps here because they're locally developed, and, of course, really good. I never really liked apples growing up, but I love honeycrisps. Pity they have a pretty short season.
The developers, however, are putting out two more kinds. Can't remember the names, and I haven't tried them yet, but I'll bet they'll be great. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Alas, like Mack, my apple days are done. Even my old stand-by, the fresh-off-the-tree tart Macintosh gives me a really bad reaction. It is worse now, whereas I used to be OK with a little itchiness of mouth. Now, I have trouble breathing when I eat peaches, plums, apples, or any raw nut other than a peanut or macadamia.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
Elizabeth,
Sorry to hear that - the same thing happened with me when it comes to melons. It started with cantaloupe and grew worse until the only melon I can eat with impunity is watermelon - and it's my least favorite.
The fresh apple days are over here. The last of my fresh apples are no longer crisp and fun for eating by hand. So I have been turning them into yummy apple bread.
I'll post my version of the recipe I modified sometime in the next few days. Taking a couple loafs to Michigan today for our contribution to Thanksgiving feasting.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Hi S, I can still eat cooked apples, and made a fab apple cake from a recipe in my Eating Well magazine.
How was the apple season where you were? Ours was really, really bad, due to a weird weather pattern last spring and summer.
Strange, we had fresh corn here(W. MAss) until very recently. It was like September: the new July.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Reviews
Ashmead's Kernel A medium-sized antique russet from England. Ugly by modern standards. Its coat resembles an Idaho potato's. High-flavored; tart (not for sissy palates); firm textured; a good keeper. One of the best of the russets. Winter tender.
That's according to the description sheet. Our review: Good flavor, but disgustingly mealy texture. Like the really bad Red Delicious. I would take one bite and throw the rest out. Yuck.
Stellar A late season, firm and crisp, Golden type from Arkansas' breeding program Stellar is milder flavored and much more attractive than two other new entries in this class, Suncrisp and Goldrush.
Our review: Crisp and pleasantly juicy -- the flavor isn't impressive (I usually think yellow apples are kind of wimpy, flavorwise)-- but the juiciness washes the icky feeling of that other apple away. I wouldn't buy it again, though.
Posted by Astaril (Member # 7440) on :
Really? How strange. One of the things I liked about the Ashmead's was how crisp it was. I dislike soft apples, like Red Deliciouses, or even Macs. Perhaps it depends what season it's picked (is that what "winter tender" means?), or maybe you got an old one. That's too bad. Try this one again someday if you get the chance though. It's better crisp.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Macs are crisp as can be around here, but only in the early fall when they are freshly picked.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
King David Believed to be a Jonathan/Arkansas Black cross. Medium sized. Dark red coat. Very good quality. Distinctive flavor, a blend of its parent's strengths. Not an especially good keeper. Nearly a century ago, the famous Stark Bros' Nursery predicted that King David would replace Jonathan. Didn't happen.
Our review: boring flavor, except the aftertaste, which is pleasantly sour. Not as mealy as the first one, but still pretty bad.
So far I am not pleased with this purchase. Either these are yucky varieties or they're out of season and not good keepers. Either way, not worth the money, even for the novelty.
(When I get to the Honey Crisp I'll know -- I've eaten hundreds of them and never had a bad one. If this one sucks it will be obvious that the company employs some weird alien packing clerk who sucks the goodness out of apples.)
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Liz, you know you probably have Oral Allergy Syndrome, right? (i.e., it isn't all in your head -- which you probably guessed! -- and there is both a name for it an possible treatment, as well as things to avoid)
I can't remember if we've talked about it or if you mentioned it. *sigh
I am getting so old.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Melrose An outstanding Jonathan/Red Delicious cross combining the rich flavor of Jonathon and the crisp juicy texture and sweetness of Red Delicious [?!]. Round shape, dull red color. Larger than Jonathan and a better keeper. A "best" for caramel apples.
Our review: not as mealy as the Ashmead's, but not crisp. Dull flavor. Taste/texture like a fairly good Red Delicious (which ain't sayin' much).
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![[Taunt]](graemlins/taunt.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)