I think I have a new favourite early apple. Not exactly a new favourite. I had a few last year, but they seem to be gone fairly quick. Or maybe I was distracted by the arrival Honeycrisp, which I really enjoy. But I do like the Ginger Gold.
It is apparently a cross between a Golden Delicious and an Ablemarle Pippin (whatever that is) and something else. They don’t seem too sure. Mainly because it was not made by humans. It was just found growing on a farm in Virginia.
A lot of apples are designed on purpose these days, built by people who carefully selected the stock for various reasons and then painstakingly developed over many years. The Ginger Gold was just found growing out somewhere on the back forty.
It has a taste that I find similar to a Cortland. I have always liked Cortlands, so the taste is right for me.
But there always seems to be something new coming along with apples. After reading stories about it, I have been waiting for a couple years to try a Cosmic Crisp. They were a new variety that was being talked about a couple years ago. But it takes time. We are talking about trees. Trees take time to grow and start producing fruit, so new varieties being developed at a university on the west coast will take a while to make their way here.
But I like apple season. I like apples. But I like trying new ones, and there always seems to be something new to try. Some I like, some not so much. But that’s part of the fun.
Welcome to apple season.
