A couple of weeks ago, I was at the Farmers Market on Saturday morning and one of my favorite vendors has nice looking apples out. I bought a few.
When I got home, someone asked, "what kind of apples" to which I responded good looking ones. I made an apple tart for a dinner party we had been invited to, and someone asked, "what kind of apples?" There was a sign on the box, but I just picked out what looked good. And the apples were good.
Growing up there were three kinds of apples, front yard, honey house and dog pen apples.
Front yard apples, were on a tree in the front of the old farm house that had to be 100 years old. It was 50-75 feet tall, produced few apples, they were good when fresh, and early in the season.
Honey house apples came from a free behind the honey house. This was the best tree. The tree was about 20 feet tall and nicely round. The apples ripened in August, with a nice mixed red and yellow skin. They were the best for eating, baking or making applesauce.
The third kind were dog pen apples, so known because the tree was in the run that my grandfather kept his hunting dog in. They were late season, often very firm, and tart. They often never really turned red, they would turn yellow, then brown and drop off the tree. Looking back they were probably an apple that was green when ripe, but no green apple was considered ripe when I was growing up.
My grandfather didn't believe in spraying trees. His reason was that he didn't want to deal with the mess, and by the time you paid for the spraying equipment and spray, it cost more than the apples were worth. Maybe underneath it all, he was concerned about the impact of spraying on the bees, after all this was a honey bee farm. We just trimmed around the worm holes and insect blemishes.
Having grown up in that environment, I buy apples based on look, feel, smell. It seldom fails me. What kind of apples? Good ones!
I love apples too and they've been really good this season. Of course I've been overdosing on apple cider. I mean I've been going through a gallon a week. I love this stuff Plus nothing better than spiked spiced cider
ReplyDeleteIts been a while since I have let cider ferment
DeleteI much more specific about apples. I have varieties I love and varieties I don’t. So, I prefer knowing what they are. I’ve never tasted Dog Dun apples. ;-)
ReplyDeleteRun... Dog Run!!!
ReplyDeleteI made another pie last weekend, it was good, but wet
DeleteI've given up on apples. Apple growing is huge here and in Tasmania but where to the good ones end up? Not in our local supermarkets.
ReplyDeleteI seldom eat one I don't like
DeleteI miss apple cider. Growing up in Illinois, we used to get the best apple cider this time of year. I've never found anything to match it.
ReplyDeleteMost of it is filtered in some way, not the same as fresh
DeleteI like almost every apple, except a Granny Smith. I don't care what you do with them, I don't care for them.
ReplyDeleteA ripe apple should be red or yellow and sweet
DeleteThe only kind of apples that grew in the area of my childhood home were crab applies. They made good jelly!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have ever had one
DeleteNowadays, unscrupulous merchants spray chemicals onto the apples to look shiny and bright and inject sugar/chemicals to sweeten them. It is so hard to rely on the traditional techniques to pick good apples
ReplyDeleteMy friend just gave us some good apples.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
It seems like apples have been posted about a lot recently. I finally caved and started getting and eating apples again. I love them.
ReplyDelete