Stars for a Star-Crossed Year

Today is the day I rate apples I've sampled (or resampled or reconsidered) from the previous year.

My ratings are qualitative, from one to three stars. These judgments reflect my tastes primarily, though sometimes other considerations come into play.

As for the year itself: no stars at all.

The year in apples was sparse: nine "new" (to me) varieties and some second bites. But of these, eight earned stars.

This is partially because of the quality of some of the new varieties from the Midwest Apple Improvement Association that I tasted in early 2020.

Worth Choosing

I award one star to Firecracker, a recent release from the venerable fruit-breeding program at Cornell. The cracker has an excellent crunch and an interesting flavor set.

At the other end of the timeline, a star to Flower of Kent. This variety is probably the same that gave us the theory of gravity (with Isaac Newton as intermediary) in 1665.

A star each, also, to pleasing Pixie Crunch, and to five apples from the Midwest folks:

• Midwest 633, succulent and flavorful
• Sweet Crunch-a-Bunch
• Midwest 681, pretty, easy to eat, and with a great crunch
• Rosalee, another very accessible apple that is satisfyingly crisp
• lively Sweet Zinger

I'm generous with my one-star ratings and forgiving of what I see as flaws. Most apples are "worth choosing."

But it is harder to earn more stars from me.

Worth Seeking

For trivial reasons, my review of Pineapple Crunch languished in my "to do" pile for four and a half years before I published it last spring. No matter. This is a great, if unknown, apple. Two stars.

There are no changes at all this year to the three-star roster ("worth a quest").

Also Ran

Newcomer Pink Luster failed to impress me. And despite some good reviews from others with good taste, the apple now known as Autumn Crisp did not earn any stars from me on retaste. (Maybe next time.)

Apples with no stars are nonetheless often quite good. Also I sometimes get it wrong (and who died and made me King of the Pippins, anyway?).

So I encourage you to use my ratings to expand, not shrink, your own exploration of the pomacious fruit. 

If you find yourself face to face with an unfamiliar apple this year, bite it and let us know what happens.