JUST NOT GREAT, THIS YEAR
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We've had an unusually wet growing season this year, and the apples have soaked up the water and grown fat.
A juicy apple is nice, but not every variety benefits qualitatively from this aqueous bounty.
So far a number of the finer apples, including some russets and the above Cox's Orange Pippin, are more tender and less crisp, and flavors seem a little less defined.
That's compared to my idealized notion of the peaks to which these apples are capable of ascending.
They are still very good to eat!
First...let me say thank you. This is always interesting and refreshing information from you!
ReplyDeleteIn the East (NY-Hudson Valley) the rains in June-September have also been substantially higher than the average (in some locations 10" above the mean for the season!) Bitter pit quite high and actually too many fruit in tops of trees causingh many support systems to fail due to the rains. Albeit the brix (sugars) are indeed lower due to the water and size...yet the flavors here have been superb! An abundance of fruit, good color and as you stated, great size...all around amazing year for apple in NYS! As with CO Pippin, the flavor in Balwin was the outlier here with mild flavor this season. Best...
@Unknown, thanks for your report! Certainly not all apples are affected here, but some local Ashmead's are also subpar (though still worth eating!).
DeleteHave had some very good Reine de Reinettes from Vt.