Rich September

I am used to thinking of September as a kind of calm-before-the-storm hiatus of the fall parade of apples.

Today however I counted 17 different varieties at farmers market, including Ribston Pippin, Ashmead's Kernel, Wickson, and Westfield Seek-No-Further.

In 2009, in a post entitled "A Pause at the Market," I wrote that in early September there had been only 3 kinds of apples for sale at farmers market.

I asked, "Does an apple farmer dare to dabble in little-known fruit when the market wants McIntoshes and Macouns?"

My haul from the market today, from left: Westfield Seek-No-Further, Wickson, Ribston Pippin, Ashmead's Kernel, and Macoun.

Today I brought home some very fine varieties, including 3 of my 5 top-rated apples.

Early September was not quite as rich as that this year, but I think the days of having only 3 apple choices are behind us.

Farmers are growing more varieties, some shiny and new and some quite old.

I like to think this is in response to a growing public curiosity about the pomacious fruit.

Links

• "A Pause at the Market"
• Ashmead's Kernel
• Macoun
• Ribston Pippin
• Westfield Seek-No-Further
• Wickson
• How I rate apples