The originator of this apple, Joel LaValley of Amnicon Apples, suspects it is a seedling of Red Delicious ("but much better").
It has a good bit of the Red D conical taper, and some ribbing. The streaky red color, where it covers the green-yellow, is purer than Delicious's purple-tinged hue, and there are many light tan lenticel dots prominent in the blush.
My samples are small and medium-sized. Now let's see about that "much better" part.
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| Crabapples gather around a lone McIntosh. |
It's been crabby here!
Above, left to right: AAX 11, Hewe's Crab (review forthcoming), and the delightful Chestnut Crabapple disport themselves around a single McIntosh (for scale).
This is an "experimental" crabapple (thus the "X") under development by Amnicon Apples ("AA").
Each experiment is about an inch tall with streaky red blush over a pale yellow. The riot of streak and color wash masks any lenticel dots.
This crabapple has a satin rather than glossy finish, and noticeable ribbing.
I listen to names. "Kinderkrisp," for example, suggests a "kid-sized" entry into Honeycrisp space.
These attractive apples are appropriately small, maybe an inch and a half tall (and about an inch wider than that). The one shown is the tallest at 1-3/4 inches, and the least oblate.
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| King McIntosh makes his debut at the Arlington, Massachusetts, farmers market last Wednesday. |
...the Macs arrive.
And, they are kind of similar.
Perhaps by design, the name of this apple evokes the iconic Golden Delicious, which matures much later.
Earligold falls between medium and large, a very light spring green. As the photo shows, there is not so much a blush as a lightening of the green to yellow, but it includes some faint peach accents. Lenticels show as darker green dots.
There is quite a bit of give in the squeeze.
The apple-shaped earth and we upon it, surely the drift of them is something grand,
I do not know what it is except that it is grand, and that it is happiness . . . .
Sculptor (and orchardist) Linda Hoffman cites these words as inspiration for her Bronze work, "This Apple-Shaped Earth."
You probably know that crabapples are, basically, little apples. They can be sour, biter, sweet, good, or bad, just like other apples.
Just had to get that out of the way.
Today's are on the large side for crabs, standing about 2 inches tall. Although standing is a little problematic because, for some, the remains of the calyx, clenched tight, project beyond the tiny area defined by the "chins" or crown at the base.
