Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Autumn Glory

This classically shaped large apple has a streaky red blush over a waxy yellow. Mine are ribbed, one of them strongly so. Small sparse lenticels are not prominent.

Autumn Glory has a nice firm squeeze and a sweet cidery aroma.

Inside is coarse crisp yellow flesh, very juicy. There are simple sweet flavors and a great crunch, with corn syrup and faint mineral notes. One sample has a bit of sea brine. Another presents, briefly, B-vitamin tang.

Autumn Glory is a Fuji x Golden Delicious cross marketed exclusively by one grower. The marketing hype says the apple has a taste "like cinnamon " and indeed there is something in the finish that feels warm in the mouth the way that cinnamon can. A little.

Other than the above: If you can imagine a continuum between its parents, this apple is reasonably along it, perhaps closer to the Fuji side.

Growers have been introducing one or two new varieties each winter, so perhaps I should not be surprised at Autumn Glory's supermarket debut. But I did not expect to have another variety to share with you before the end of the year.

Happy new to all.

13 comments:

  1. I tried one of these yesterday. Very sweet, not very tart, and very fragrant. The fragrance, however, is not cinnamon--I am tempted to say more rose-like or perfume-like. Enough so that I even started to wonder if the apple had been chemically adulterated. I don't typically like perfume-scented food, so I was not terribly impressed. And I do like my apples tart. This is not my apple.

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    1. Mike, I'd be really surprised if anyone was selling perfumed apples. (Okay, this, but even so.)

      My slightly-near-cinnamon experience was limited to taste. Some varieties are naturally very floral (though that was not my experience here).

      I haven't seen these around lately, but plenty of growers pass my part of the world by.

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  2. I found these in a local grocery store yesterday. First time I've seen them here in Canada (Lower Mainland) and had to try them. The crisp Fuji parentage comes through nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed them. However, there was no hint of cinnamon in the taste or aroma, which was a little disappointing but not surprising given today's marketing tactics. I like apples as long as they are crisp and juicy, no matter if they're tart or sweet. I draw the line at soft apples, like the Mac.

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    1. @anon, gotta say: there is nothing soft about a fresh Mac in season! Try one next fall if you can.

      I don't bother with them this time of year.

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    2. Not sure why it is, but the ones I've had have always been soft - never had a firm one regardless of time of year. That being said, I can see them being very good right off the tree. My grandfather had a lot of fruit trees and the apples I liked best were the ones straight from the tree. I know that they need time to develop their individual tastes and aromas after harvest, but I just love the fresh-picked flavour best.
      Which is why I got that 6-way espalier - it's nearly impossible to find harvest-fresh apples these days.
      (PS - I figured out how to put in my name instead of posting as Anonymous)

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  3. Just sampled my first Autumn Glory from a purchase at Fred Meyers. Wonderful apple...will get them again whenever I see them.

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  4. Bought some and found this is my family's favorite apple along with fuji, gala, and honeycrisp apples. We have each of those trees in our yard still under 2 yrs old. We bought a bunch of these apples and a germination kit. One apple (autumn glory) had seeds that had started germinating...So I put them in the seed kit. Out of all the apples seeds only one came up and is growing great! Now we can have this apple in our own back yard.

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    1. @Nicole, kudos for growing apples from seed, a noble pursuit. However, don't be surprised if your Autumn Glory seeds bear something that isn't Autumn Glory.

      Apples do not breed true, which is why single varieties are propagated by grafting.

      You may get something close, you may (alas) get something nasty. You may get the next great apple sensation. If so, let us know!

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  5. This is my absolute favorite apple. To my taste buds, it comes closer to caramel than to cinnamon, but I get where the comparison comes from. We've been doing lots and lots of apple taste tests with the family lately, and this one is the top choice by many if not most and is never outside of the top two or three. Other favorites have been Envy, Juici, Cosmic Crisp, Lucy Glo, Pink Lady, and the good old Fuji. I'm thrilled with any of those, but the Autumn Glory is my favorite.

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  6. I was excited to try a new apple, and was really disappointed in this one. It was bland, not tart enough for me, and had a kind of chemically flavor to me. I think its the same flavor Mike mentioned in his comment. At least it was crisp, better than being mealy. I'm sticking to my Pink ladies!

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    1. @Unknown, it is possible you just got a bad one. Though it might be a bit late in the year for a good one.

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  7. Found these very briefly at the local Whole Foods. Gone by the following week. Crispy, sweet and juicy. A somewhat unique taste - perhaps a little flowery, though I don't have a sensitive enough palate to say more than that. Liked it though. I'll buy some again next time I see them. [I love that I can look up new-to-me apples and see what folks have said about them. Thanks Adam!]

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    1. Thanks, Gary. I haven't seen these around for years.

      I get a big kick out of the comments. A fair exchange!

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