This week: Paula Red

Are you missing McIntosh this week? That classic fall apple is still a good 3 weeks away (4 if you don't want yours green).

In the meantime there is Paula Red, the best of the early Mac-like varieties of August (take that, Jersey Mac!)

Paula Red tips:

• Here's the skinny on Paula. I give her one star.
• No, she's not as good as the real thing.
• The apple known as Dandee Red is really just a redder sport of Paula.
• But Dandee may be a little sweeter.

Last week's pick, Gravenstein, is still my personal apple of choice this week.

But even so I got two Paula Red at farmers market, just to mix things up.