Oops, no photo for this one! So, picture a big yellow apple, ribbed, with a very partial light orange blush that is streaky.
David D'Angelo, an apple farmer from Maine, shared one of these with me in November. Our sample has cracked a bit around the crown where the apple grew too fast "like an heirloom tomato," as David said.
There are large dark lenticels and a cidery aroma with more than a hint of the Golden Delicious.
Star Song has light yellow flesh, fine-grained, with mild well-balanced qualities that showcase a hit of banana and, we agreed, something else tropical (though we could not lay our tastebuds around exactly what).
These are interesting flavors, but at the same time Starsong is a very accesible apple. There is no acidity or anything that might put anyone off, and the texture is quite good.
David thinks highly of this variety for obvious reasons. There's not much information about it online (though a very different Starsong is a member in good standing of the My Little Pony pantheon).
Probably Star Song is a child of Golden Delicious. If so it's one of the best to come out of that family, and that is saying a lot.
David grows apples and other things at Hawk Farm (near Augusta, Maine) and his many comments that have enriched this blog are under that name, not his.
David describes himself as "a fledgling MOFGA Certified organic/holistic vegetable farmer, organic/Holistic orchardist and fruit explorer."
When David was in town last month we got together and ate a bunch of his (and other) apples. In the excitement I neglected to photograph Star Song. Sorry!
Update: Turns out (see comments) Star Song is a nickname for NY 315, and you can see a photo (and more information) on that page.
This Star Song grew in Maine, and is the better sample of the two. So I am "demoting" the other report from Official Review to commentary.
Technically, though, NY 315 is the official name of this variety (which is also sometimes known as Gold Spy).
I believe this was developed by Richard Fahey, now of Singing Tree Nursery but then of Catholic Homesteading Movement, back in the 1980’s
ReplyDeleteStar Song is the same variety as NY 315 or Gold Spy. Star Song is the name, my father, Richard Fahey, gave this apple that had its origin in the New York Experimental Station.
ReplyDeleteI am especially fascinated by names and origin stories. This more than makes up for the fact that I seem to have tasted one less apple variety than I'd thought.
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