New Zealand is really kicking it with their apples. Many tasty varieties.
I almost stopped eating apples for awhile. Red Delicious was meh, Macintosh and golden delicious get mealy, Spartan season is to short and the skin is a little tough. Granny Smith was the default until Pink Lady came along. Crisp and sweet it's a clear winner for me. Even the really large ones (Washington State) with watered down flavor are still good. Tried Smitten a few weeks ago, even sweeter than Pink Lady (maybe too sweet). When they get old the skin slips but mealiness is minimal even though the apple feels soft. Tried Envy for the first time this week. Very crisp, sweet with a little tartness but not as apple flavoured as the Pink Lady.
Can you tell I really like apples?
What our growers export is just the tip of the iceberg (and all about what's on trend commercially). We've got a decent reservoir of heritage varieties in different areas of the country and a network of enthusiasts who keep them going.
ReplyDelete(Says the guy who got a grafting tool for his birthday last winter and has got something like 20 varieties in his orchard)
Curious whether any good varieties grow in your neck of the prairie Cass Morrison...the climate wouldn't be too different from their genetic source in the steppes of central Asia.
ReplyDeleteI can't eat anything other than a honeycrisp nowadays. Nothing else comes even close.
ReplyDeleteRegrettably, I must admit I have bought more Apple computers in my life than apples.🤦♀️
ReplyDeleteEveryone is a bit different. We have two types of apples in out backyard. I'm not sure what they are but one is crisp Nd sweet, the other quick to get mealy so good for cooking. Orchards are not a thing, mostly wheat, canola, beans and cows.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of the Pink Lady apples for a while now, but Royal Galas are normally still pretty good, and Granny Smiths are always awesome. I like a tart apple. Heck, sometimes even crabapples make my list of edibles. Depends on the variety.
ReplyDeleteBraeburn does it for me
ReplyDeleteIsn't the Gala a New Zealand variety?
ReplyDeleteCass Morrison
ReplyDelete(imagining a cow in a giant flower pot making its own fertilizer and growing antler points)
ginnyjollykidd Yep, originally discovered in the '30s. Harder to find now because almost all the commercial growers have switched to Royal Gala. Both varieties are a little fussy and prone to black spot, especially on the west wide of the islands (where I am). But they're great eating.
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of Gala but they seem to have replaced red delicious as the ubiquitous apple up here.
ReplyDeleteThey keep better than Red Delicious. Red Delicious get mushy easily anymore. I prefer a crisp apple, and Gala is just about right. I like the taste better than Fuji, too. A bit.
ReplyDeleteCass Morrison and ginnyjollykidd, I want to let you know that as a result of this discussion, I have bought a bunch of fresh vegetables from a grocery (I had mentioned how this thread had made me aware of my culinary deficiency). I am finally going to start eating produce (fruits as well as veggies), not just veg convenient foods. Thanks, all!
ReplyDelete... Also, I do wonder which marketing genius came up with the name "Delicious" for a kind of apple. And how much were they paid for putting their business school education to work and coming to the human knowledge-expanding breakthrough conclusion that if we call something "delicious" people will want to eat it.
ReplyDeleteDon't know how the name delicious came in but very much an opinion word so some disappointment is bound to happen. I'm better with fruit than vegetables.
ReplyDeleteGood point. That name sets the bar high.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly with Pleasantville, N.Y., near New York City. I figure they came up with that name because houses just weren't selling when it was called "Crappyville."
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, I read where the guy who cultivated red delicious first, had taken an apple from the tree and ate it, proclaiming it "Delicious!" And from there, the red apple was called Red Delicious. Seems as good an etymology as anything.
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