Adam's Apples

Today's apple, Ohlson, arrived in rough shape, with many bruises.  ¶  It is a cylindrical apple with a base broader than its top, a yellow apple with orange-red specks and vertical streaks that look like red oil floated onto the peel in water.  It is possible to distinguish the lenticels, faintly, in the unblushed regions. There is a small amount of ribbing. 

I visited the Davis Square farmers market in neighboring Somerville this week, in part to see if the vendors there identified their apples, or just left people to guess.  ¶  That was an issue last week in Arlington . I visited both this week. The crew in Davis includes some old hands, and indeed every variety there had its own identifying placard. Picky me, I still have issues. But there were 15 varieties at each, 17 in total. By comparison Arlington offered 9 last week. We are approaching Peak Apple.

This medium-sized apple has a subdued red blush over spring green, washed out in spots. It is ribbed and from the top describes an imperfect square.  ¶  A stubby stem sits in a shallow well, and in the blush one must peer closely, and in bright light, to see the many tiny light lenticels. Its calyx is closed tight. Northpole feels firm in hand. Let's check out what lies within.

My sample of this antique apple comes not from the St. Lawrence valley, where it may have originated, but from western Washington.  ¶  Red vertical stripes, some deep and saturated, radiate from the stem well of this visually striking apple. They contrast with Saint Lawrence's otherwise pale yellow-green peel. Many small red flecks mix in with darker lenticel dots.

Two exceptional apples made their annual debut at farmers market this week: Ashmead's Kernel and Macoun .  ¶  Though we are, sadly, missing many great apples that we often see by this time in September, make no mistake. This is high season. These are heavy hitters. Royalty .

This distinctive apple has saturated orange-red streaks over light yellow tinged with green. My samples are ribbed and have a classic, slightly tapered, shape.  ¶  The small tan lenticel dots are hard to spot in the blush, though some are dark with rusett or other matter.

I have two medium-sized green-yellow apples with small rosy blushes washed over the peel in varying intensities. The lenticel dots, though present, are not obvious.  ¶  Each has some modest ribbing and is a little oblated at bottom and top. They are temptingly firm in hand.