A Tale of Two Delicious Apples
THEY ARE BOTH mostly sweet, conical in shape, late-season apples. Their names are identical except for their predominant coloring. They…
Try Empires in Apple-Pear Cobbler with Cheddar
WITH THE ARRIVAL of classic mid- to late-season apples like Cortland, Macoun, and McIntosh, and newcomers like Gala, Honeycrisp, and…
Good Now, Better Later: Idared and Suncrisp
SOME APPLES, like fine wines, improve with age. Two relatively new varieties, Suncrisp and Idared — are examples. Their flavor…
Apple Pie Time
GET READY to reset your inner clocks this weekend, and turn up your ovens. With the holidays less than a…
Mid-season Pleasures: Empire and Spencer
IT TAKES YEARS, sometimes decades, between the time an apple variety is discovered and it becomes available to the public….
You Say ‘Gal-la, I Say ‘Gay-la’
NO MATTER how you pronounce it, Gala is among the very best sweet apples. It has more character and nuance…
How to Eat a Fresh Apple
TWICE A DAY at least I reach into a paper bag in my refrigerator and pull out an apple. It…
What is the Best Pie Apple?
AFTER TWO MONTHS of intensive research, we are forced to admit failure — once again — in our perennial quest…
New England Apples from Neighboring New York
ALTHOUGH THEY SOMETIMES COMPETE in the marketplace, New England and New York apple growers have a long tradition of cooperation…
McIntosh Babies (Cortland, Empire, and Macoun)
THE INFLUENCE of McIntosh on the world’s apple supply extends well beyond the McIntosh itself. Its exceptional flavor, juiciness, and…
Pears with Apples (Like Shamrock, Honeycrisp, and Hudson’s Golden Gem)
PEARS PLAY a supporting role to apples in New England. You never hear of a pear orchard with a few apple…
Admiring the Empire; Apple Dings and Dents
APPLE GROWERS spend their year trying to grow perfect fruit, and they succeed a remarkable amount of the time. The…