Adam's Apples

Three painterly Pomme Gris apples bask in today's mellow September sun.

Sixteen is the magic number of apple choices at today's farmers market in Arlington, Massachusetts. Including Macoun, Pomme Gris, and Wickson.  ¶   (Photo:  A few of the apples you could buy today in Arlington, Massachusetts. )  Now you're talking.  ¶  Tomorrow's market in neighboring Belmont may have even more, because all of the same apple farms are usually present, plus Hutchins, an organic farm in Concord.

Today's apples (I have two) are large and medium sized, both with an attractive and mostly saturated streaky blush over yellow green.  ¶  There's also a light milky-blue bloom that isn't visible in the photo.  ¶  The apples are more round than anything else; there is very light ribbing. The larger one is lopsided but I think that it grew that way competing for room with another apple. Speaking of the vissicitudes of orchard life, the smaller apple has discolored indentations on the side not shown above. They might be the marks of hail.

Just some of the choices at the farmers market in Belmont, Massachusetts, earlier today. I am used to thinking of mid-September as a kind of calm before the storm of fruit to come, a time when there are no new choices at the market at all. And it is true that this week the roll call of apples only grew from 10 to 11. But look at these heavy hitters.

Making the scene at the Arlington, Massachusetts, farmers market yesterday.  ¶  Those are Macouns lurking in the back, but this is the week for the Chestnut Crab .  ¶  It's about a week too early for marvelous Macoun. And those Chestnuts are really good.

The trees' seasonal dance approaches its climax in Harvard, Massachusetts, yesterday.  ¶  It's still officially summer, by popular reckoning, but the trees know different .

Welcome September, and the Mac is ready to eat! if not perhaps at his absolute peak.  ¶  This iconic fall apple has been for sale since mid August, but there are some things you just cannot hurry.

Officially, summer lasts well into September here in the Northern Hemisphere.  ¶  Astronomical fall does not begin until the fall equinox , which is on September 22 this year.  ¶  But by September 22, for apples at least, autumn is well underway.  ¶  There will have been local apples for a good two months, and icons such as McIntosh and Macoun will be peaking.