Adam's Apples

The harvest begins with a crate of Vista Bella and the distinctive flavor of watermelon candy .

Have I been slacking off lately?  On this anniversary of my first blog post , I am still here. Still exploring the pomacious fruit, and hoping to score some fresh (to me) varieties this season. This pandemic year has not been a great one (for any of us), and I have had some other projects making demands on my attention. But for me, writing is a kind of balm and source of forward motion and hope. To subscribers For those who subscribe to this blog by email: I have not yet resolved the looming issue of how to keep those emails coming.  There may be interruptions in service, and at some point you may receive a notice about your subscription from an unfamiliar source.  Check back at the website if you do not hear anything for a while.

A few years ago, Mike, a reader, proposed a blog called "The Braeburn That I Ate Today." He was reflecting on the variability of his favorite apple. Until he follows through with this noble plan, I am filling in with a report about a dozen different Braebs I've eaten this year. The three apples in my lead photo are all Braeburn, purchased on the same day from the same supermarket (January 26, Burlington (Massachusetts) Market Basket, "batch 'A'"). From left, striped and blocky; orange, striped, and conical; solid red, broad, and tapered. The apple Braeburn  is one of several imports from New Zealand, available these days in supermarkets across the U.S. It is not especially a favorite of mine (not that I have a problem with it), but it is not hard to enjoy either. The investigation There is something to Mike's point of view, in that Braeburn varies. When I started tasting in the winter, the samples were