Adam's Apples

April's Ashmead In April I reach into the back of my disorganized refrigerator and eat the very last of my fall hoard . There are always a few surprises. So it is that in the past few weeks I have had my last Lady Alice (excellent flavor still crisp and firm, if ever-so-slightly rubbery), Ananas Reinette (inedible) and Ashmead's Kernel (an absolute marvel). Also a few other odds and ends, with similarly mixed results.

Earlier today at two local apple orchards, blossoms are just beginning to burst forth. Starting to flower at Nagog Farm in Littleton, Mass. Some trees were all green, and others in full bloom, but most were in between.

It's a personal thing As usual this time of year I am eating many of the hard, dense apples that populate supermarkets. Tooth, like taste, is fundamental to an apple's quality and is a personal preference. Some people just can't get their teeth around the really hard apples. Meanwhile I am noticing real differences in the texture of what's in the stores. Off-season apples are stored for months and transported, sometimes for thousands of miles. It's no wonder that growers and retailers (and consumers) prefer sturdy fruits that keep well and withstand the rigors of all that handling.

Okay, this one is a bit tricky. This blog has a hidden view that graphically shows the cyclical, seasonal nature of this blog. Here's how.

Reports of disappointing examples of the Lady Alice apple began to trickle in mid February. This new variety was really a treat last year, crisp with unusual flavors, and for sale in March. One reader this year, writing February 13, called Alice bland. Another checked in with accounts of Alices that were bitter .

Got a mystery fruit? Seattle's Fruit Tree Society has classified 106 apple varieties across 22 different characteristics, from calyx-tube size to harvest date. Plus photos! If you've got one of these apples but don't know which, this handy web page will help you make a positive ID. It's pretty clever and worth a look, even if you do not know your abaxile core (65 varieties) from your axile (39). Update: Alas, this great resource has succumbed to the ravages of time. It is gone. The link above will take you to an archived version, worth viewing as a comprehensive list of apple attributes. However, it is no longer functional as a searchable database.

I eat an apple a day (at least), but thankfully that has not kept away at least one doctor who is a regular reader and, sometimes, correspondent. Today he points to a new analysis that adds to the already impressive list of health benefits from eating apples (and also, in this case, blueberries and pears): reduced risk of type-2 diabetes.