There's an orchard near me that takes an interest in apples that are still in development (and may never graduate to wider cultivation).
These generally have names like "WA 38" (which you know as Cosmic Crisp) or "NY 428" (which you probably do not know at all).
My local grower, for example, got its hands on one of these and, since it did not have what you might call a name, called it "Early Jonagold." (It later got fully commercialized as Autumn Crisp.)
It also sold Early Spy and Early Macoun that were not these named apples picked early, but something else.
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So when I found "Early Crimson Crisp" there this week, I had to ask: is this another unofficial nickname for an uncommercialized apple, or is "early" just an adjective describing the true Crimson Crisp?
So, I asked. And they are Crimson Crisp. Picked early.
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| Color differences are due to very different lighting conditions! |
They eat like many unripe apples, tart and green, though a little sweeter and with a very good crunch.
I bought two and was grateful to have them, especially as I'd left my water bottle at home.
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| Plenty of fruit in the trees at Hutchins Farm on August 27. (Click any photo to embiggen.) |
A strategy of a grower desperate to have something for market but nothing is ready....
ReplyDeleteOh, I really do not think so in this case. More likely drops or picked by accident.
DeleteI thought Cosmic Crisp were exclusively grown in Washington!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, I had exactly the same misread when I came across these! But the apple in question is Crimson Crisp, which is not restricted by that kind of license.
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