Adam's Apples

This small, crabapple-sized fruit, with its glossy deep red peel and striking pink flesh, is gorgeous. But is it good to eat?

According to the grower, these diminutive crabapples—the largest might be an inch tall—are super tart and used to make cider. The staff at Shelburne Farm told me that these were Firecrackers. Maybe they are, but I have some doubts, aired (and resolved) later in this post. The apples are certainly pretty enough, though imperfect. This orchard sustained a good deal of hail damage last summer.