I loved my Grandpa's apple orchards growing up, he kept those rows of trees healthy and strong. Which made it a beautiful panoramic view from his house! Our houses were set on farm #1, surrounded by the plum orchards. My favorite of all the orchards was the oldest apple orchard on the farm called "The Bisbees". I think it was the history in that section of farm land that I really enjoyed. Yet, I ended up sitting more in the small apple trees growing up the hillside to grandpa's house, for THAT view alone was just one step away from God! Now Farm 2 was right across the street from farm 1, where most of the Red Delicious apples grew. It was where we kids played baseball, for the dirt was soft to slide in and the wide open space made it easy to really swing the bat. Having 3 farms full of many different apple orchards, I was able to decide what my most favorite apple was. On Farm 3 down around the big wide irrigation canal was the Rome apples. A beautiful red color, this apple is fat almost squatty looking. Now the taste to me, even picked right off a tree, didn't really have what I wanted in an apple. The Joni-golds had a juicy bite with half the tartness of a Jonathon apple. Those Jonathon apples were small, easy to eat while walking around the orchard. But the sparks of the tangy flavor showed so much tart. My Mom said she loved them for canning, they held that flavor a long time. The traditional big tall Red Delicious apple was my Grandma Norma's favorite, because she said they were truly beautiful, just what an apple should look like. Yet...I never liked them, Honestly, because Red delicious hardly have any flavor. The meat of the apple is greenish tint with a dull boring juice. Of course I never told my Grandma That!
I remember the day Dad came home with a fuji apple, he had gone to a farmers convention. There was a special new apple revealed at the convention, I watched Dad become so excited and he was really hoping to get his In-laws to plant a whole new orchard of this Fugi apple, (it was a funny name I thought) Dad called it "the apple of the future".
True to form the fuji apple became a house hold name after all! Still though, I know that fuji apples are not my favorite. Even though in the dead of winter when all other apples go mealy, that fuji apple can hold it's juicy strength. Just not the apple for me......
Our neighboring farm had a Granny Smith orchard that sometimes we had to pick at harvest time. And THAT apple is pure sour! If you don't want to feel your teeth after awhile just eat a dark green granny smith apple.(YIKES) There was one unique type of apple Grandpa had for pollination on the farm, it was called a "Winter Banana apple". This apple is an heirloom with a light skin color almost white that blends into a soft blush of pink. This apple was only tasty for a tiny bit of time, if it was on the tree to long it became all mushy, or if it was still a tiny bit green that bite would be bitter. If you caught this apple at it's perfect time, then the bite would be a honey sweet flavor with a hint lemony tartness. I spent many hours thinking about each apple's own flavors, the good and bad things about it.
I loved the comparing apples to apples, in finding out right off the tree branch which apple held up to my taste buds. I would take time to see all the colors, all the textures inside and out. I will always love apples most of all!
My father once asked me "Do you know what is worse then finding a worm in your apple?" I blinked and shook my head "No, what?" He smiled big and chuckled "Having a half of worm inside." I groaned back at him "Oooh No! GROSS!" He said it actually DID happen to him once while He was driving the tractor, he quickly grabbed an apple on the run, then when he noticed the half a worm moving there in his hand, he was turned off of apples for the rest of the week!
I remember the day Dad came home with a fuji apple, he had gone to a farmers convention. There was a special new apple revealed at the convention, I watched Dad become so excited and he was really hoping to get his In-laws to plant a whole new orchard of this Fugi apple, (it was a funny name I thought) Dad called it "the apple of the future".
True to form the fuji apple became a house hold name after all! Still though, I know that fuji apples are not my favorite. Even though in the dead of winter when all other apples go mealy, that fuji apple can hold it's juicy strength. Just not the apple for me......
Our neighboring farm had a Granny Smith orchard that sometimes we had to pick at harvest time. And THAT apple is pure sour! If you don't want to feel your teeth after awhile just eat a dark green granny smith apple.(YIKES) There was one unique type of apple Grandpa had for pollination on the farm, it was called a "Winter Banana apple". This apple is an heirloom with a light skin color almost white that blends into a soft blush of pink. This apple was only tasty for a tiny bit of time, if it was on the tree to long it became all mushy, or if it was still a tiny bit green that bite would be bitter. If you caught this apple at it's perfect time, then the bite would be a honey sweet flavor with a hint lemony tartness. I spent many hours thinking about each apple's own flavors, the good and bad things about it.
I loved the comparing apples to apples, in finding out right off the tree branch which apple held up to my taste buds. I would take time to see all the colors, all the textures inside and out. I will always love apples most of all!
My father once asked me "Do you know what is worse then finding a worm in your apple?" I blinked and shook my head "No, what?" He smiled big and chuckled "Having a half of worm inside." I groaned back at him "Oooh No! GROSS!" He said it actually DID happen to him once while He was driving the tractor, he quickly grabbed an apple on the run, then when he noticed the half a worm moving there in his hand, he was turned off of apples for the rest of the week!
MY MOST BELOVED APPLE, (Drum roll Please)
This apple can hold it's own in every thing! For it is simply perfect to me! Now out of the wide world of apples I gave this passion some deep thought.
I can cook with it, I eat it fresh (I miss those days of taking it right off the dusty tree branch, for there is no taste quite like it, especially in that moment), I can put it in pancakes or green salads. ALL of my apple pies shine because of this great apple every time! Yes, I do believe THIS apple can DO IT ALL!! From in my quest of the best apples out there, with all my gala slices and my honey crisp purchases. For every Braeburn bite or even that Empire try. I didn't stop with just the type of apples on my childhood farm... but also in the stores with Pink lady apples or those popular Mackintoshes.
I STILL think that nothing can compare to my wonderful tasty, juicy, sweet, strong, Beautiful and PERFECT.....................
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