I was reading through Mike’s post this morning, thinking about all the different types of apples there are. There really is a range of flavours and varieties that we come across this time of year. But there are some that I would love to try that I have only just heard about. And others that are fairly new that I have come to really like.
Last night I stopped and picked up some Ginger Gold apples on the way home. Until last year, I had no idea they even existed, until someone mentioned to me they are a really good early variety and I really should try one. And they are quite tasty. If you like a firm, slightly tart, apple.
I looked up their history. These days, many types of apples are made on purpose. Growers combine different types, looking for a specific flavour profile and storage life. There really is quite a science to it. But not with Ginger Gold.
Ginger Gold are an accidental hybrid. They are a combination of a Golden Delicious and something else. They don’t seem too sure what the something else is. It was just a couple apple trees, doing what apple trees do naturally. Making more apple trees. In this case, Ginger Gold was the result.
After Hurricane Camille swept up the eastern United States in 1969, an orchard in Virginia was pretty much wiped out as a result. When the owners looked around, they discovered a tiny seedling amidst the devastation of their orchard, and planted it to see what might some of it. The result was a new variety. And I think a rather tasty variety. So as soon as I learned they were available, I had to grab a few.
There are a couple others that I that I have been hoping to try, but I haven’t been able to find. The Cosmic Crisp for one. They’re a cross between a Honeycrisp and an Enterprise, and were developed fairly recently in Washington State. I’ve heard of them, but haven’t seen them yet around here.
There is also a black apple I would like to try some day. There are a couple varieties, but not something I have ever seen locally. One is the Black Diamond, which is grown in Tibet. Long way to go for an apple. There is also an Arkansas Black apple. Closer, but still something I haven’t seen available.
Normally, black fruit might make you question whether or not you want to eat them. But my experience with black tomatoes this summer has certainly made me more open to try them. The black tomatoes were pretty tasty, so now I want to try other similar things.
But there always seems to be something new. Well, maybe not actually new, because they do grow on trees and it takes them a while to grow. But I still like trying new ones, when I can get them.