Re: An apple a day: My personal ranking of apple varieties
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:10 am
Apples!
Well, for those that live in Chicago, if you're looking for organic / fantastic apples, just hit up one of the farmers' markets run by the city.
It is a terrific program ... the "satellite" ones on the weekend in Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Park are just so-so (and really being taken over by "exotic" -- ie, overpriced -- food vendors), but all summer/fall during the work week the city sponsors ones downtown. Federal Plaza on Tuesdays and Daley Center on Thursdays, that much I know.
Anyhow, the apples (from Michigan) were absolutely fantastic. Sadly, I ran into a couple of problems.
First, I would inevitably just grab 2 of each of the 6-7 varieties and never have any idea what I was ultimately eating. Next year I am resolved that I going to bring a marker and bags and insist that they all be bagged separately.
Second, I would just as often return to work with a dozen apples and start handing them out. I had the following conversation a few dozen times:
Me to Co-worker coming into my office: "Here, take an apple."
Co-worker: "No, I'm OK."
Me: "You don't understand. You want this apple."
Co-worker: "No, I'm not crazy about apples."
Me: Extended riff about Jonathan apples being awful and how they don't understand.
Co-worker: "OK, I'll take one."
20 minutes later, phone call from Co-worker: "Oh my God. That was incredible. I thought you were being crazy, but I get it now. I don't think I've ever had an apple that good."
Of course, I was also a victim of my kindness ... I took to hiding the stash because otherwise they'd be gone by 4pm.
Also, I thought the Commish would be happy to know the New Yorker just ran a big piece on apples. I can't get it all, but here is the link. Lot of discussion of the Honeycrisp and how it (a) almost never existed; and (b) is largely responsible for the renaissance in apples. Though still a "corporate" apple, it is far superior to most everything else at supermarkets and so has opened peoples' minds to the world of apples that's out there:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011 ... t_seabrook
Well, for those that live in Chicago, if you're looking for organic / fantastic apples, just hit up one of the farmers' markets run by the city.
It is a terrific program ... the "satellite" ones on the weekend in Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Park are just so-so (and really being taken over by "exotic" -- ie, overpriced -- food vendors), but all summer/fall during the work week the city sponsors ones downtown. Federal Plaza on Tuesdays and Daley Center on Thursdays, that much I know.
Anyhow, the apples (from Michigan) were absolutely fantastic. Sadly, I ran into a couple of problems.
First, I would inevitably just grab 2 of each of the 6-7 varieties and never have any idea what I was ultimately eating. Next year I am resolved that I going to bring a marker and bags and insist that they all be bagged separately.
Second, I would just as often return to work with a dozen apples and start handing them out. I had the following conversation a few dozen times:
Me to Co-worker coming into my office: "Here, take an apple."
Co-worker: "No, I'm OK."
Me: "You don't understand. You want this apple."
Co-worker: "No, I'm not crazy about apples."
Me: Extended riff about Jonathan apples being awful and how they don't understand.
Co-worker: "OK, I'll take one."
20 minutes later, phone call from Co-worker: "Oh my God. That was incredible. I thought you were being crazy, but I get it now. I don't think I've ever had an apple that good."
Of course, I was also a victim of my kindness ... I took to hiding the stash because otherwise they'd be gone by 4pm.
Also, I thought the Commish would be happy to know the New Yorker just ran a big piece on apples. I can't get it all, but here is the link. Lot of discussion of the Honeycrisp and how it (a) almost never existed; and (b) is largely responsible for the renaissance in apples. Though still a "corporate" apple, it is far superior to most everything else at supermarkets and so has opened peoples' minds to the world of apples that's out there:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011 ... t_seabrook