Adam's Apples

There are some great farmers markets near me, and in season they are the source of most of the fruit I eat. You never know what new apples, or old favorites, might show up there.  ¶  All of the apples for sale, by date, from July to the end of the outdoor markets in November of 2024. It's from this spreadsheet .  ¶  For the past few years I've reported regularly (with a few gaps) about all of them. It is kind of thrilling to track the harvest as it unfolds, and to feel through that the solemn turning of the year from summer to winter.

Eighteen is something like 180 in internet years. I never imagined when I started this blog in 2008 (an experiment writing about "a year of apples" ) that I'd learn so much, or that I'd still be learning and blogging in 2026.  ¶  Possibly that year year-long commitment is what kept me going. I bagged 44 apples in the first six months (a number I have never matched in any subsequent full year). It would have been easy to quit when things inevitably got harder to write about in the winter.

Since my first blog post here on this day in 2008, I have learned a lot about apples, and a bit about blogging too.  ¶  The plan then was simple: go to Farmers Market every week, see what was ripe, and tell the world.

Very best New Year's wishes to you, dear readers!  ¶  This busy fall included a healthy 17 "new" (to me) apples , some quite good. I published 23 posts in a single month ( October ).  ¶ I still owe you reports about some of the interesting orchards I visited last fall. Also per annual custom, I'll be applying my

The fall equinox is counted as the start of autumn. By that yardstick McIntosh , that icon of fall, is actually a summer apple.  ¶  And lots of other autumn-ish apples too.  ¶  My discomfort with that idea brought me around to thoughts of a special pomological fall . (Some of you pointed out it is not very different from meteorological fall .)  ¶  Now this blog reflects that.

In the first six months of this blog, which I started 16 years ago today , I tasted and described 44 different kinds of apples.  ¶  That is not an annual milestone I ever passed, nor hoped to, because back then every apple was new to me.  ¶  But last year came close, with 39 first-time varieties. That's owing to fall travel (to Quebec and England ) and to the kindness of fellow apple aficionados who shared some of their favorite apples with me.

Do you like the new look?  ¶  I have upgraded the software behind this site. If you spot problems here, please let me know.  ¶  The new software improves the experience here for mobile users. According to Google, two thirds of the visits to this website are from people using their phones. I hope I have managed this improvement without degrading the experience on desktop. My own testing suggests that nearly everything still works, though some things work differently.

My original thought, in 2008, was to blog about apples for a year , then find something else to do.  ¶  I would not have continued after that first year but for the comments I began to get from readers. They are both learned and, for me, validating. You make this place richer and more interesting. Changes in browser technology, however, are making it harder to comment, and to know when someone has replied to a comment. I want to thank readers who share their thoughts here, and try to address those tech issues. But first,

BEST WISHES TO MY READERS  ¶  I've had quite a year with apples, to the point where I am looking forward to the quieter winter and spring.  ¶  As alway, I am both grateful for and energized by your attention and, especially, comments.  ¶ 

On the train back to London with my apples. I seek out apples when I travel. It's a rewarding way to connect with another land and its culture  ¶  . But I don't go so far as to plan entire trips around the pomaceous fruit. That reflects my priorities, but sometimes leads to missed opportunities  ¶  . A recent October trip to England yielded many of those, but also many apples. And a few surprises.

I've come to terms with the fact that this is a seasonal blog, so I don't beat myself up when there is not much to say some times of the year. Today is the anniversary of my first blog post , however, when I reflect and assess. That seems to demand particular honesty. 

My 340-odd apple reviews are indexed alphabetically , photographically , by month and season , and  qualitatively . That's not enough ways.

photo: judy elliot Rank amateur who does not even grow apples is not shy about holding forth on them anyway : As you’ve probably gathered, his tastes don’t align with the average consumer’s. And, as you might be asking yourself by now: Why should I care what Adam Auster thinks? Millions of people eat apples. He’s just one.

Farmers are not idle in winter, and neither am I. We plan and we prune and we fix. Today I am pleased to announce the return of subscribe-by-email to Adam's Apples. Google dropped its built-in email service last summer.

Not a bad year for an apple blog that was supposed to end in 2009! (That was the original idea .) I got to review 17 apples in 2022 , in large part thanks to the generosity of readers.

This one-year experiment is now fourteen , and looks with hope at the start of another apple season. Early apples Lodi and Vista Bella It's been fun and rewarding for me! Those who subscribe to Adam's Apples by email may see some changes. (Click the title for details.)

i'm moving Many, and probably most, of the photos I've published here over the years have shown apples from this vantage point.  ¶  It's the back railing of my porch, with my backyard in the background.  ¶  Take a last look, because I no longer live here.

Have I been slacking off lately?  On this anniversary of my first blog post , I am still here. Still exploring the pomacious fruit, and hoping to score some fresh (to me) varieties this season. This pandemic year has not been a great one (for any of us), and I have had some other projects making demands on my attention. But for me, writing is a kind of balm and source of forward motion and hope. To subscribers For those who subscribe to this blog by email: I have not yet resolved the looming issue of how to keep those emails coming.  There may be interruptions in service, and at some point you may receive a notice about your subscription from an unfamiliar source.  Check back at the website if you do not hear anything for a while.

The 2020 harvest, plagued by pandemic and drought, has not been a total bust. The selection at farmers market has been limited. The Baldwins were not so great this year. However, Cox, Ashmead, and Stayman have been particularly good. Alas, barring some last-minute discoveries, this is not going to be a big year for new apple reviews.

Socially distanced farmers market, Arlington, July 21 When I started this blog twelve years ago last week , I had no idea where it would go or take me. In this uncertain and fearful time, that is more true than ever. To my readers, again: thank you, take care, take special care, and be well. And, watch this space.