Tougas Family Farm

A Good Crop of Apples (and Art)!

NEW ENGLAND EXPECTS a good apple crop in 2021, a welcome development after last year’s smaller-than-normal one. Apple growers face a…

The Duchess is Waiting

THERE ARE TWO TYPES of early season apples: heirlooms that were once valued for extending the season, and newer varieties…

10 Overlooked Apples for Apple Lemon Cake

PART OF THE BEAUTY of New England’s orchards is their diversity, in size, location, crops, and, especially, their apple varieties. More…

Apple Growers Face COVID-19

NEW ENGLAND’S FRUIT GROWERS know what it is like to be vulnerable to the forces of nature. Whether it is…

Apple Pie, Cameos, and Trademarks

WHAT APPLE makes the best apple pie? Food writer Ken Haedrich, in his 2002 book Apple Pie Perfect, says that almost…

Art in the Orchard

APPLE ORCHARDS, in addition to producing beautiful fruit, are natural sculpture parks. Walking among the vigorous and prolific trees, their…

Empire apples, Dowse Orchards, Sherborn, Massachusetts (Russell Steven Powell)
Empire and Jonagold: Great Apples By Any Name

EMPIRE AND JONAGOLD apples have a lot in common. They are mid- to late-season apples with outstanding flavor and texture….

A Corporate Giant Slams New England Apple Growers

JONAGOLD is one of the finest apples grown in New England. In taste tests, consumers rate it highly — as high…

The McIntosh will soon be ready at Sholan Farm in Leominster, Massachusetts. (Russell Steven Powell)
10 Things to Know About McIntosh, and Apple Banana Bread Recipe

The McIntosh apple was discovered by John McIntosh on his farm in Dundela, Ontario, Canada, in 1801. It was a…

Suncrisp apples, Tougas Family Farm, Northborough, Massachusetts (Russell Steven Powell photo)
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…

A bin of Cortlands from Boothby's Orchard and Farm
The Classic All-purpose Cortland

THERE MAY NOT BE a better all-purpose apple than Cortland. It has long been known for its excellence in pies….

My Favorite Apple

NEXT TO “What is the best pie apple?” the question I am asked the most — and which I frequently…