Sierra Beauty**

I have three of these extremely flattened beauties from Mike, a reader in Southern California. They are green and blushed, with pronounced ribbing and short thick stems.

Three of These Things Are Not the Same

Which of these apples

• is a 150-year-old heirloom?
• is from a local (Massachusetts) orchard?
• is commonly sold in supermarkets and grocery stores across North America?

If you've been reading my blog you know the answer.

You also know that this is a trick question.

Keim

Keim is German for "sprout." ¶ 

This apple proved unusual in several ways. ¶ 

You can see the very different shapes that are possible, one very oblate but only modestly ribbed, and the other a bit stocky and with ribbing so pronounced as to produce a distinct crease.

Despite the differences in shape, the apples share a small wash of red-orange blush over a very yellow spring green. The blush includes saturated spots of red pigment haphazardly at some of the lenticels.

On the road

Back from a quick trip to the Pioneer Valley (Massachusetts), where I got a bag of Gold Rush, some interesting ciders (hard and sweet), and this photo.

Shown: The emblem of Clarkdale Fruit Farm in Deerfield.