Three apples rate a star. Two earn two.
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I tasted nine apple varieties for the first time last year.
Alas, may of my examples were clearly past their prime. Consequently, I'm not able to give them the recognition they probably deserve.
But first: What's going on? I rate apples every year at this time, using my own qualitative system, one to three stars.
Oddly (or maybe not, at this point in my apple-tasting career) I only found two of these apples locally. Travel, and readers, provided the rest.
Singleton stars
I found
Robijn
in an organic market in a cavernous industrial space on the outskirts of
Dublin. One star to this apple, crisp, lively. Its origin story is unexpected.
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| Redfree |
I also reconsidered some apples in my catalog. One of these, Redfree, earned both a star and a new listing.
Doubly stellar
The apples I received—gratefully—from Jesse Downs of
Down Home Farm fared better as a group than the fruits of my foreign explorations. I
enjoyed them very much.
Two stars, then to the Red Royal Limbertwig, which has, I think the classic "Limbertwig flavor." Two stars are "worth seeking."
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| Red Royal Limbertwig |
(Down Home also provided the one-star Smokey Mountain Limbertwig. I haven't tried nearly all of them, but the Limbertwig family is, so far, impressive.)
I also award two stars to the excellent Royal Russet, also known as Brown Russet. Both names seem to be valid and I hope Jesse, who grew mine, forgives me for using the one that seems to be the more common.
The apple itself is a sweet russet with some fine flavor notes, worth seeking indeed.
Stellar anomolies
Three-star awards ("worth a quest") are downright rare, about 1 in 75. There were no new ones this year.
I decline to award any stars to either of the two apples I managed to find here in New England last year: Worcester Pearmain and Irish Pippin. The latter was, alas, well past prime by the time it reached me.
What I learned from tasting them suggested that fresher samples might indeed be very good (or better). But I base my reviews on experience, not hopes, so must instead wish for a chance to resample these sometime.
But you, dear reader, should not be dissuaded by my experience. In fact, if you find Rajka, Discovery, or the mysteriously named Tipp Pippin, please dish about them in comments to my reviews. I am not likely to get a second bite of these any time soon.
Brilliant for baking
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This classic baking apple still earns no stars for eating out of hand. Nonetheless I was very pleased to make Bramley a completely new review this year.
Humbly yours
That includes the 120-odd no-star apples I've reviewed. I am sure that some of these are underrated, just not which ones.
I had to taste Redfree multiple times, from different orchards in different years, before awarding it a star this year.
It follows that you should conduct your own investigation to learn what pleases you.
Others, I know, rate apples according to a system of fractional points. Such precision is beyond me (and, I suspect, may fail to account for how apple qualities vary with harvest, orchard, and other factors).
Besides, I am just one set of tastebuds, not a panel of judges at Olympic Games.
Links:
- How I rate apples
- New in 2025
Today's photo of the Milky Way is in the public domain, available via Pixnio.
I am utterly confused by that price label. And, given that it was in Scotland, I am afraid I might not understand the explanation were I to make an inquiry of the sellers.
ReplyDeleteFive Bramleys for three pounds!
Deletei got a tried apple variety recently, maribelle, and after a streak of cloyingly sweet apples (Sprank, Rubis Gold, Venice) this delicate flavor profile is a lovely change of pace!
ReplyDeleteI had to search online to learn about all of those apple varieties! (which appear to be Dutch). Sadly most modern varieties are heavy on the sugar, light on many other qualities.
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