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Farmers market in late September is still great. Compared to other years, though, there are fewer kinds of apples for sale there.
My photo shows an even dozen, raising the question, just how many do you need anyway?
For me, there is no upper limit. I sometimes am rewarded when a grower brings a new (to me, that is) variety that I can taste for the first time.
In non-pandemic years, the end of September brings at least a score of apple varieties to the table, often more than two dozen.
The offerings at orchards and farm stands are more complete this year, suggesting that pandemic work conditions are stressing the logistics of getting fruit to market.
Kimball Fruit Farm, above, had Ashmead's Kernel at its Pepperell farm, but not (so far) at the Arlington market.
I picked up a down payment on my yearly haul of Ashmead's Kernel at the Brookline market last Thursday.
ReplyDelete@Pam, clearly some farmers markets are more equal than others!
DeletePS The Ashmeads seem particularly good to me this year.
Just how many do you need?
ReplyDelete(Happy to hear everyone's preferences about varieties in third approach)
Approach 1: how many people are you feeding & how many apples does the tree produce & what is the eating span of the crop (fresh, stored, preserved)?
Approach 2 : how much land do i have, how much water is available, how much maintenance can be provided?
Approach 3 :
According to availability in Australia and what my region is able to grow-
Which apples from the 5 star group are available? Ashmead's Kernel, Wickson, Macoun, Cox's Orange Pippin (substitute Lord Lambourne), Margil, Rubinette, Reine de/one of the Reinettes
Personal favourites : Golden Harvey (russet), Mutsu (refreshing)
High performers : Gold Rush (storage), mystery apple/belle de boskoop (drying), karmijn de sonnaville (intense)
-----------then if i have more room etc-------------
Outliers: pine golden pippin/pitmaston (pineapple), huonville crab(red flesh), fenouillet gris (licorice),Worcester pearmain? (berry), winesap or stayman (vinous), sweetman? (honey), court pendu plat (ancient), flower of kent (isaac newton)
---------and if i could somehow allow for the fulfillment of my urge to collect ------------
Second tier : eg ellisons orange, ribston, kidds orange red, opalescent, blenheim, egremont, freyberg, tomkins, berner rosen, upton pyne....very long list mostly untried
Best cookers: bramley (frothy puree), calville (holds shape), reinette doree (stiff puree)
Nostalgia: cripps pink, granny smith
Season extenders: best of early (eg vista, tydemans), best of late (eg black democrat, duke of clarence)
THAT'S the spirit!
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