Hooray for growers who tell us what's ripe

You could still get the excellent Chestnut Crabapple at farmers market today, but my attention was all on Macoun. ¶ 

Macoun is among the best of the vast McIntosh family, and it time is now.

This Macoun was on the small side, with some light hazy bloom, ribbed, freckled, gorgeous.

The Mac was also for sale today, along with Cortland, Fuji, Elstar, Gala, Gingergold, Honeycrisp, Spartan, and Swiss Gourmet (also known as Arlet). 

Zestar, a summer apple, is done. Today may still be astronomical summer, but it is indisputably pomological fall.

We are just getting started

That's 11 varieties, but there are plenty more out there at orchards and farmstands. As of this writing, Volante Farms in Needham also boasts 11 varieties, not all the same. Their list is updated weekly.

Volante gets apples from four different orchards and the assortment there in October is mind boggling.

Shelburne Farm in Stow also posts a mostly up-to-date list of apples on their home page; you just have to scroll down. 

Right now Shelburne lists a partly different 11 apples, including some heritage varieties like Kidds Orange Red. They grow their apples themselves.

I especially praise these two apple shops here because they care to tell us, on their websites, what is actually on offer.

This is above and beyond the "here are the list of apples we grow, arranged by month" approach that too many orchards slack off and use.

Thank you, Volante and Shelburne.

Meanwhile back at the apples

Speaking of the Mac family at farmers market this week, Spartan makes a good introduction to vinous apples generally:

Spartan

They are worth choosing too.