Adam's Apples

 JUST NOT GREAT, THIS YEAR We've had an unusually wet growing season this year, and the apples have soaked up the water and grown fat. A juicy apple is nice, but not every variety benefits qualitatively from this aqueous bounty.

The rattle is back in Cox's. Go ahead and shake this fall's haul of the exquisite Cox's Orange Pippin .  Some  rattle  as the seeds inside the apple knock together. The quality of this year's Cox's is also especially good.

Long have I sought to pair these two English apples. Cox's is legendary, and Ribston, also known as Glory of York, is widely supposed to be Cox's parent.

Just had to share this gorgeous Cox's Orange Pippin , one of my last of the year.

Left to right: Reine de Reinettes, Ashmead's Kernel, Macoun, Wickson, Cox's Orange Pippin The gang's all here. All 5 of the apples I've rated as "exceptional, worth a quest"—3 of 3 possible stars—together in one place.

Today I've got two great apples, Macoun and Cox's Orange Pippin , that have probably been ripening on the tree too long. Both of these were picked late. L to R: Cox's Orange Pippin, Macoun. I want to see what that is like.

A quest fulfilled: Cox's Orange Pippin .

Today two more apples get three stars, the highest rank in my qualitative rating system. One star is "very good, worth choosing," two are "excellent, worth seeking," and three are "extraordinary, worth a quest" to find. What sort of quest I leave to the judgment of the reader. The stars rate only the eating qualities of apples, which is unfair to some spectacular cider and cooking varieties that don't happen to shine when eaten out of hand. There is no accounting for tastes, so I trust you will treat these as advisory and keep your own list of favorites. Still, you may rely on these ratings and my reviews as a guide to something new, if you are in an adventurous frame of mind.

The seeds of Cox's Orange Pippin are said to rattle inside the apple. However, I've never found one with pips that did. Until now. I am pleased to bring you this sound, probably an internet first. Click to play, or download the audio file.

In the left corner, ladies and gentlemen, a towering figure in the world of fruit, an apple variety of near-legendary proportion, sought-after, elusive, and prized. And in the opposing corner...come again? The idea for this comparison came to me at first bite of the Chestnut Crabapple and eventually became irresistible. It's not as ridiculous as you might think! though Cox's is all I have said and more.

A famous, fabled apple that many feel is simply the best. And, yes, it is fabulous.  ¶  Cox's Orange Pippin runs medium to medium-large and is round, oblate, and ribbed. The blush is indeed an orange-red, sometimes uneven, over yellow green and with considerable russetting. Brown lenticels freckle the whole surface, which is matte, not glossy. Cox's sits firm in the hand and smells slightly mossy or grassy.