The Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance

First: I've just updated the master list again, adding rankings for Wine Kissed and Rave, and updating the rating for Granniwinkle. That's 163 apples rated!

Badgers wrote:I found Zestar's at Portland's main Saturday farmer's market downtown yesterday, which had me immediately excited. They don't look quite like the one in the picture at the link, though, so I'm not sure if they're quite the same apple. The ones I found have less green and more white, but they are crisp and light. You pick one up and feel like half of it is filled with air.

So Zestar! (use the trademarked exclamation point, darn it!) can come in a few different shades, from deep cherry red (like the one I just ate) to a green so pale as to be bordering on white. It indeed is a light, almost airy apple in the hand. Their most distinguishing trait is that tangy, zippy flavor, which carries strong accents of brown sugar. It's unlike any other apple I've tried, which is why it's in my top 10. Definitely one of the two August apple standouts (the other being my #1 apple overall, Burgundy).

Funny thing John, was just talking to friends about apples recently and ended up referencing your list!

Still a great read and source!

Saw this article today about 10 apple types rediscovered that people thought were extinct.

https://durangoherald.com/articles/322517

Alleghenies wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:00 pm Saw this article today about 10 apple types rediscovered that people thought were extinct.

https://durangoherald.com/articles/322517

That's outstanding! Now I just have to track these newcomers down and have myself a bite.

Heard from a colleague in Seattle today that they've tried Cosmic Crisp apples and they were quite good. Apparently a cross of Honeycrips and Enterprise, which I hadn't heard of. He said Cosmic Crisp was huge, practically a meal. They also appear to have a website dedicated to them. Coupled with the name, I can't help but think this is all a big gimmick, but maybe that's how the growers need to advertise in order to recoup their investments. Can't say the name is particularly inspiring.

Lions wrote: ↑Mon Jul 19, 2021 2:43 pm Heard from a colleague in Seattle today that they've tried Cosmic Crisp apples and they were quite good... Can't say the name is particularly inspiring.

Sounds like a breakfast cereal. Anyone remember this one?

Lions wrote: ↑Mon Jul 19, 2021 2:43 pm Heard from a colleague in Seattle today that they've tried Cosmic Crisp apples and they were quite good. Apparently a cross of Honeycrips and Enterprise, which I hadn't heard of. He said Cosmic Crisp was huge, practically a meal. They also appear to have a website dedicated to them. Coupled with the name, I can't help but think this is all a big gimmick, but maybe that's how the growers need to advertise in order to recoup their investments. Can't say the name is particularly inspiring.

Being a Washington State resident I can agree that Cosmic Crisp is awesome. I love that this thread is still alive.

Sandgnats wrote: ↑Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:16 pmI love that this thread is still alive.

The first post is still being updated, too! Up to 173 varieties sampled! Now I just have to try Cosmic Crisp.

awesome! John you are amazing.

I love that the original was posted on Christmas. John's present to all of us!

I love a Cosmic Crisp. A variety developed at WSU. Go COUGS!

Lions wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:35 pm I love that the original was posted on Christmas. John's present to all of us!

The Christmas gift that keeps on GIVING!!!

I saw a new-to-me variety of apple from New Zealand at my local grocery store and excitedly bought a bag, looking forward to experiencing the hints of orange and spice advertised on the label, and secondarily to trumpeting its greatness on this thread

Well, friends, all I can say is what a letdown...on many counts. They were hard to bite into, but mushy when chewing, the worst of both worlds for me--I prefer apples to be crisp, firm, and juicy. The flavor was also nothing to write home about, as I could detect none of the exotic notes touted on the label. The whole thing seemed little better than a sweeter Red Delicious. That's a mistake I won't be making again!

And as far as putting a new variety on the apple list goes, needless to say John was way ahead of me there as well! Koru is already there, ranked at #98 (solidly in the "So-So" range). There's no out-appling John Rodriguez, and it's no use even to try!

I'm with you, Denny! Koru is yet another of these club varieties that's all outer crunch and no inner texture or flavor. Sure, it's better than Red Delicious, but then an acid bath is better than Red Delicious. (I kid. Maybe.)

There are at least a small few club varieties that are palatable. Keep an eye out for any of Tentation, Lucy Glo, or Envy. None of them are amazing, mind, but they're not bad, and higher-end supermarkets will occasionally carry them.

I'm surprised not to see opal on the list. My kids LOVE opal. They're yellow and fairly sweet. I don't find them all that special as they're not as crisp, but any fruit that kids love is ok by me.

I've been mostly buying honeycrisp now. It used to be Fuji. I find both of them to be fairly inconsistent and it makes me wonder if honeycrisp, in particular, is headed in the direction of red delicious. A great apple that will decline due to economic reasons of mass production. I think it's unlikely to get that bad as supply chains are better than they were 80 or 90 years ago. I just am always a little wary when I buy them now as to whether or not I'm getting a good batch, particularly out of season.