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.
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I'm excited for Ithaca's apple festival that they have every year. Lots of apples, cider, and fun.
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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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.
Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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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.
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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.
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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.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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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)
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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. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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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.
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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.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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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.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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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. Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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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!
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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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. Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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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...
Posts: 1038 | Registered: Feb 2006
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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.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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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.
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
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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.
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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.
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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.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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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. Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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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.
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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.
Posts: 3420 | Registered: Jun 2002
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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.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I considered buying one of those samplers, but 2 bucks an apple, plus shipping, is too rich for my blood!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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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. Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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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.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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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.
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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.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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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.
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Macs are crisp as can be around here, but only in the early fall when they are freshly picked.
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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.)
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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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
posted
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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and it's yummy too! There's nothing like a fresh off the tree apple!
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I wish I'd found them earlier in the season, but I'm bookmarking for next year.
