In Which We Brag About Our Petty Accomplishments

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by lisarea

According to the people whose trees they are, the main tree is just Galas, although I got some from the scraggly little rando trees partly growing into our yard as well. Galas are really basic, but I didn't want them to go to waste.

I read your post about the apple tastings with great envy. I think it was from The Botany of Desire that I got this wild hair to try to find different apple varieties, but Colorado isn't much of an apple state and I couldn't find much, so I take what I can get locally and then buy the cool imported ones at the store when they have them. I'm going to look out for Gravensteins.

Gravensteins are disappearing because they neither ship, nor store, well. Grab 'em if you find them, but I'm trying to build a list of acceptable substitute pie apples so I know to what to grab when. Most of the stuff in grocery stores around here are 'hand apples', like the Galas. One can 'get by' by using, say, Granny Smith apples mixed with something like Braeburns, so that the tart flavor of the Grannies mixes with the softer, sweeter Braeburns to cook down the harder Grannies, but having a decent pie apple at hand makes all the work so much more appreciated. My list now highlights 'Idared', 'King David', 'Red Winesap', and most strains with 'Pippin' in the name, like 'Cox's Orange Pippin'....tart, crisp apples. I've now identified a source which supplies several 'farmers markets' in the area, so I'm retraining myself in the apple hunt.