Adam's Apples

Today's apples are small and medium sized, round with no ribbing but flattened so they don't roll. What looks like ribs in the photo are small bruises.  ¶  The blush lies streaky red over a green that sometimes leans towards yellow, and the resulting variation in saturation of blush over variable shades makes for a variegated surface, sometimes dull red-green, sometimes orange, or yellow or green.

Stillman's Farm, my source for Mollie's Delicious , pulled a little rebrand last week.  ¶  I guess the crop was a little bent this year. The apples, normally just round or tapered, had this little atrophied base (or crown if you prefer).  ¶  And they were sold as "Molly Sheep Nose."

I've got two of these, medium and large, pale yellow-green with small faint peach blush. They are round, with flattened tops and bottoms, those of the larger one especially so.  ¶  Flyspeck and a few small bruises join many filled grey lenticels decorating the peel. They do not come from a big industrial orchard. These apples have a lovely sweet aroma.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE ?  Mislabeled apples at Arlington's farmers market on September 9.  ¶  Quite a radical design departure today for Apple Computer (which spells its desktops "Macintosh"). Where's the USB port? If this had been only a hand-lettered sign....  I should not complain, I guess, the point is McIntosh (bonus: spelled right!) is here. Be glad! But it shakes one's faith in farmers.

There are some great farmers markets near me, and in season they are the source of most of the fruit I eat. You never know what new apples, or old favorites, might show up there.  ¶  All of the apples for sale, by date, from July to the end of the outdoor markets in November of 2024. It's from this spreadsheet .  ¶  For the past few years I've reported regularly (with a few gaps) about all of them. It is kind of thrilling to track the harvest as it unfolds, and to feel through that the solemn turning of the year from summer to winter.

The Boston Globe, anticipating pomological fall , on Wednesday published a two-paged guide to some of New England's most interesting orchards and apple experiences.  ¶  Cider donuts too, of course.

This handsome apple blushes deep red, at its most saturated as dark as any Arkansas Black or Black Oxford .  ¶  It is decorated with many small light lenticel dots, and the unblushed portion is streaky over yellow.  ¶  Soluna is sightly tapered and slightly ribbed, firm in hand with a pleasant fruity aroma.