Adam's Apples

A week earlier than last year, our first New England apples of the season were in a box at the Arlington Farmers Market today. These are Jersey Macs, which were not memorable last summer. But this year they occupy a place of honor. Biting into the first one cuts the ribbon to a season of local fruit. What's that like? Their crunch, their tang, and the fragility of their flesh all proclaim unmistakably that these are home-grown apples fresh off the tree.

The Vista Bellas , still going strong this week, are joined at Farmers' Market by a second early apple, the Jersey Mac. Jersey Mac is probably the best-known of the earlies, the name evoking the popular classic McIntosh. Not my favorite, but I picked one up to share here--hey, who loves ya? How Mac-like is this Mac? Well, it's round and red.  There is a moment when you take a bite that you can convince yourself it is going to taste like a McIntosh, though it doesn’t follow through. The texture is a little soft, like a Mac you would still eat but is past its prime. (But, this apple was fresh.)