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| Apples for sale at the Arlington, Massachusetts, farmers market earlier today. |
It feels skimpy to have only two choices for apples in August, but that is what was on offer at the farmers market in Arlington today.
After all, Californians celebrated the Gravenstein Apple Fair last weekend. An anonymous reader confirms these apples, some of the best of August, are ripe there.
It's normal for us to run behind California, but I hope that such a lean showing in mid August does not presage a lean harvest this fall. It feels as though we are due for a decent one.
Still these are admirable August choices. I passed on Ginger Gold last week but they are ready now. Paula Red is a great early-Mac type.
Forget those year-old supermarket apples and do not look back!
Here in zone 4a east-central North Dakota, we're still waiting for Kinderkrisp and Zestar, the first good early-season apples adapted to this area. The early season apple in our orchard is Norland, a variety developed in Manitoba. Norland makes good sauce and is a decent fresh-eating apple when consumed right off the tree, but, as with many early-season apples, it turns soft very quickly. The Norland harvest is wrapping up right now, and I'm anticipating the Kinderkrisp harvest will start soon. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised we don't have the Zestars here by now.
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