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.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Zabergau Reinette *

The shape and size of this unusual and pretty apple varies considerably, but all are a cheerful spring green dominated by copper-colored russet so metallic it shimmers, no place more so than in the many large lenticels.

The example shown is quite large and very oblate. There were many such; I picked this one to show the slight blush, which was less typical. (Or perhaps it's a sunburn.)

My other unblushed sample (photo below) is smaller and more classically shaped, also representative. Both are a little ribbed and have a faint grassy aroma. Both are rock hard in early October.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Snow Sweet *

Today's large round apple, very lightly ribbed, has a thin red blush with some deeper stripes over a green yellow. Tiny light lenticels are hard to see against this backdrop.

The shade of red is a little dull but the peel has a high satiny gloss. Sweet aroma, closed calyx.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Gold Rush vs. Blushing Golden smackdown

Gold Rush (L) and Blushing Golden on a day in late fall

Two ribbed, conical, yellow late-season keeper apples with partial red blushes, in between medium and large. Blushing Golden, at right, is larger, yellower, and with a livelier, more-saturated orange-red blush.

Gold Rush is more elongated and conical, with a streakier and more-subdued bronze-red blush over a more-subdued green yellow, flecked with brown.