Adam's Apples

Goof or jape?

2026-09-14T10:55:33.900-04:00

Stillman's Farm, my source for Mollie's Delicious, pulled a little rebrand last week. ¶

I guess the crop was a little bent this year. The apples, normally just round or tapered, had this little atrophied base (or crown if you prefer). ¶

And they were sold as "Molly Sheep Nose."

Yellow Horse (Horse)

2026-09-11T10:40:09.024-04:00

I've got two of these, medium and large, pale yellow-green with small faint peach blush. They are round, with flattened tops and bottoms, those of the larger one especially so. ¶

Flyspeck and a few small bruises join many filled grey lenticels decorating the peel. They do not come from a big industrial orchard. These apples have a lovely sweet aroma.

Oh for goodness sakes

2026-09-09T19:21:18.405-04:00

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

Mislabeled apples at Arlington's farmers market on September 9.

Quite a radical design departure today for Apple Computer (which spells its desktops "Macintosh"). Where's the USB port?

If this had been only a hand-lettered sign....

I should not complain, I guess, the point is McIntosh (bonus: spelled right!) is here. Be glad! But it shakes one's faith in farmers.

Market reporting

2026-09-07T17:17:23.931-04:00

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.

All the print that's fit to eat

2026-09-04T12:55:47.192-04:00

The Boston Globe, anticipating pomological fall, on Wednesday published a two-paged guide to some of New England's most interesting orchards and apple experiences. ¶

Cider donuts too, of course.

Soluna

2026-09-02T12:53:19.390-04:00

This handsome apple blushes deep red, at its most saturated as dark as any Arkansas Black or Black Oxford. ¶

It is decorated with many small light lenticel dots, and the unblushed portion is streaky over yellow. ¶

Soluna is sightly tapered and slightly ribbed, firm in hand with a pleasant fruity aroma.

I had to ask

2026-08-29T12:34:37.571-04:00

There's an orchard near me that takes an interest in apples that are still in development (and may never graduate to wider cultivation). ¶

These generally have names like "WA 38" (which you know as Cosmic Crisp) or "NY 428" (which you probably do not know at all). ¶

My local grower, for example, got its hands on one of these and, since it did not have what you might call a name, called it "Early Jonagold." (It later got fully commercialized as Autumn Crisp. ¶ )

It also sold Early Spy and Early Macoun that were not these named apples picked early, but something else. ¶

So when I found "Early Crimson Crisp" there this week, I had to ask: is this another unofficial nickname for an uncommercialized apple, or is "early" just an adjective describing the true Crimson Crisp?

Dazzle

2026-08-27T12:52:29.725-04:00

A WHOLE LOTTA NOTHING ¶

All supermarket apples are good looking, and Dazzle, with its cool red blush decorated with many small lenticel dots, is no exception. ¶

The apple is large and blocky, with only a slight taper keeping it from a completely cylindrical profile. The blush mostly covers a yellow peal, and is thinner (and warmer) on the shaded side. ¶

Its calyx is open.

Nothing like the first

2026-08-07T21:00:24.049-04:00

Travel has kept me from the early apples this year.

I've missed the local farmers market where it is likely at least one vendor has offered Lodi or Vista Bella, or maybe even Pristine. ¶

Left to right: Vista Bella, Yellow Transparent, Puritan.

This week, my wanderings took me past Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, Massachusetts, which did not disappoint. ¶

About a minute after I took the above photo, I was eating one of those Vista Bellas. So fresh, so tart, so local, so good.

Waxing green

2026-07-26T23:42:46.594-04:00

I was traveling last week, and thus missed farmers market, where there were probably some early apples: Lodi at least, and maybe Vista Bella. ¶

I made it to an orchard on Friday. Things looked pretty good there! ¶

Hutchins Farm, in Concord, Massachusetts, did not have any apples to sell yet, but will soon by the look of things.