Adam's Apples

The pickings at Farmers market this week were pretty slim, but there are more choices farther afield.  ¶  Red Apple Farm has these enormous Williams Prides , and more besides.

Most of the time, my comparison posts start by introducing the apples and asking, which is best? This isn't that kind of thing. Instead the question is, will these apples go together as well as I imagine?

Get out your tiny violins. My sole source for Williams Pride, one of my favorite August apples, has none this year and will be pulling the trees down to grow something else. The apples are susceptible to bitter pit and just too ornery to grow.

This handsome medium-sized apple sports a dark purplish blush with light speckles. It is somewhat ribbed and some are conical. The flesh is a dense and creamy (slightly yellow) and gives a nice crunch. Willams' Pride is sweet but not cloying, juicy, and rich, with notes of pear. Something about the flavor brings to my mind that of the Baldwin apple, though I am sure the differences would be very obvious were it possible to take a time machine to October to compare the two. ( Update: Judge for yourself! ) Though not very acid or tart it has a nice astringent tail that persists after eating, more a sensation than a flavor. I would guess that Williams' Pride would appeal to many different tastes, as it is mild without blandness and has an unusual character of its own.