Nothing like the first

Travel has kept me from the early apples this year.

I've missed the local farmers market where it is likely at least one vendor has offered Lodi or Vista Bella, or maybe even Pristine. ¶ 

Left to right: Vista Bella, Yellow Transparent, Puritan. ¶ 

This week, my wanderings took me past Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, Massachusetts, which did not disappoint. ¶ 

About a minute after I took the above photo, I was eating one of those Vista Bellas. So fresh, so tart, so local, so good.

The Yellow Transparents, which I esteem despite their very short window of enjoyment, were perhaps slightly early, but still very good. It's been years since I enjoyed these.

These early varieties do not keep very long! I only bought a few days supply at a time. (I gave most of the first batch away.)

More

Later that day I stopped by Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield to get some peaches. Those were very good, but they were also giving away sample Jersey Macs and I did what you'd expect me to do. 

My JMac was on the soft side but had a wonderful strawberry note, stronger and more pronounced than in any I'd ever had before.

Red Apple had some Jersey Mac when I returned there on my way home a few days later. The harvest is well underway and every day brings something fresh and new.

My reviews, orchards

• Red Apple Farm
• Clarkdale Fruit Farms

Both of these orchards have newsletters so you can learn what is ripe.

My reviews, apples

• Vista Bella
• Yellow Transparent
• Puritan
• Jersey Mac