Friday, April 30, 2021

Hoople's Antique Gold **

What a marvelous name! What do you think it means?

Partially russeted yellow apple with a thin stem
These conical light yellow apples are on the large side of small, classically shaped with only a hint of ribs. There's a coppery crown of russet and some brown around the base.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

The art of the keeper

Two apples, one mostly yellow and wone with orange streaks

Today I get to eat two excellent modern apples ("worth seeking!") that share a particular quality.

Competently managed, they both deliver peak eating in the spring.

Lady Alice, at right, has saturated flavors with wonderful malt notes and a substantial crunch. GoldRush presents pear and banana along with a dash of citrus. 

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Cosmos

A darker Cosmic Crisp

Tiny light lenticial dots contrast with the dark red blush of this apple.

The folks at Washington State University looked at it and saw stars: pinpoints in the night sky.

They named the apple "Cosmic Crisp."

However, the blush of the Cosmic Crisps I reviewed in 2019 was not particularly dark.

Saturday, April 3, 2021

Apples on the Web: Apples and People

IT STARTS WITH A MAP

Painted map of an orchard showing every tree

My love of apples goes without saying, but I am especially beguiled by their human-facing side: the stories and customs and lore around them, the names we give apples, the magic, history, spirit, and significance they lend us as we endow the same to them.

Those intangibles are the heart of a new website, profoundly English and with an impressive roster of sponsors and funders.