Sunday, October 4, 2009

Suncrisp (but early)

The growers around here seem to harvest Suncrisp in mid to late October. All but Nagog Hill Farm, who had these for sale on September 19. 

I asked about this, to be told, Just let them sit for a few days.

I waited a week, but I'm not convinced these were really ready to eat. Read and judge for yourself.

This variety runs to large medium, conical, ribbed, and very firm. The skin is rougher than most, and bright green, with a pale pink blush that covers about 20% of my sample. 

There is a crown of russet radiating from the stem well, and tiny faint lenticels are all but invisible.

Early tastes

At this eating Suncrisp has very firm dense flesh (you've really got to use your jaws!), fine-grained and cream-colored with green highlights. 

There is a decent sweet-tart balance, with sour notes that follow and overpower melon, pear, and ginger; there is also some raw cabbage. (As is often the case, this sounds worse than it is. But it's there.)

I like this, but suspect it really is too early.

Suncrisp boasts an impeccable pedegree: it is a cross between Golden Delicious and the offspring of Cortland and Cox's Orange Pippin. That sound promising, and I will try to snag another in a month or so.

Update: More like a year and a month or so, but well worth the wait. My tasting review is here.

5 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for your inspired blog. Lately, I've found that I've been reading it more and more to find good information, great photos and reviews of some fine apples. Thanks again!

    Donna H.

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  2. Donna, I am glad you like it here. This is a great time of year for apples and I am having tons of fun. Please chime in whenever you want.

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  3. Organic Ambrosias have returned to the produce section of my local QFC! Bought two yesterday and had to restrain myself from eating both in one sitting so that I can eat the another today without going back to the store.

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  4. Suncrisp has such high soluble solids content that it can taste better than many apples even when picked 3-4 weeks before its optimum harvest date when it is the number one seller at our orchard where folks are invited to eat all they want before they buy. Selling only directily to consumes we move about 5,000 bushels of Suncrisp a year, beating out Honeycrisp, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala and 21 other great tasting cultivars. Just our opinion, but Suncrisp seems like one of the world's best apples while remaining below the radar of both the super-market and the apple industry.

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  5. @Anonymous, above: I do not know the best time to pick Suncrisp, but I do think that mid-September is too early in Massachusetts.

    This is a wonderful variety, and stupendous if allowed to rest until December.

    I have just started in on my all-too-small hoard and keep getting new flavors. Today I got the caramelized sugar of a creme brulée! (Take that, Honeycrisp!) I've added a note about that to my review of Suncrisp.

    I agree this apple is unappreciated and ask, Mr or Ms anonymous, why do you think that is?

    Do apples today require a big marketing campaign, and a revenue stream for licenses--in short, an apple club--to make it big these days?

    Or has Suncrisp just not been around long enough to catch on?

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