The black and the gold

Arkansas Black and Blushing Golden flank each other in the January snow. ¶ 

In January, with the harvest long ended, I typically turn to groceries and supermarkets for apples to eat.

But if I've been cunning in November and careful in keeping, I'll still have some souvenirs of the harvest, good to eat alongside the market haul.

Super dense Arkansas Black, at left, is typically at its best in January.

Blushing Golden (right) is probably a bit past peak but still very good, offering qualities not available, alas, from the cookie-cutter supermarket apples.