Adam's Apples

Who shall dethrone the mighty Honeycrisp? The wolves have been circling for some time around old King Honeycrisp . This variety originated, and still dominates, the niche of super crisp, tooth-achingly sweet apples. Honeycrisp's rival apples aspire to rule the kingdom, not to topple it. To supplant with same-only-better, not to challenge with new tastes and textures. By when did the King get so old? What makes him vulnerable?

Giants bestride the apple world, gripping the wholesale exchange, ruling the supermarkets, and  limiting supplies of select varieties . They dance far above a shadowed forest of small farms growing old and lesser-known varieties. Earlier this year a group of New England growers sought to promote the Jonagold apple , borrowing marketing strategies from the big boys, only to be kicked to the curb. The whole story is told by apple expert Russell Powell, writing last month in the blog of the New England Apple Association .

Jonathan + Golden Delicious = Jonagold (at least sometimes, see below). The fruit is is medium large, round and regular with slight ribbing. Its skin is a light yellow-green (not gold) spotted with darker green lenticels. An orangish-red blush, streaky in places, covers about half the surface; there the lenticels appear light tan. The unbroken apple smells mellow and sweet, very like I remember a Golden Delicious.