While growing up, I only knew that apples were red, yellow and green. We had an apple tree in our yard --and I loved those green apples (even though I had no idea what they were --and still don't). After becoming an adult, I began to learn that some apples just didn't taste very good --yet they were good for cooking. I loved Granny Smith apples --and still do, although they are not my favorite eating apple now.
There were other apples we ate on occasion: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious , Fuji, Gala, and Braeburn to name a few. All of these were available in the areas where I had lived. When we moved to the Cumberland Plateau, we visited an apple orchard near here --and found a new apple, Mutsu. That became my favorite for awhile.
Then, last year about this time, we visited George's daughter and hubby in Buffalo, NY. One place they took us was to an Orchard and Apple Picking Farm... That was the first time I realized just how many different apples there are... I was introduced to Jonagold, Crispin, and Honeycrisp. Both George and I fell in love with HONEYCRISP (pictured above). We even ordered some from LynOaken Farms after getting back to Tennessee. Honeycrisp (pictured below also) is definitely my favorite eating apple!!!
This year, we started looking at local produce markets and grocery stores around here, and guess what???? We found HONEYCRISP here. We are two happy campers. If you have never tried a Honeycrisp, try one. They say it's a cross between a Macoun and a Honeygold (although I've never had either of those).
Honeycrisp is an extraordinarily CRISP and JUICY apple with sweet flavor. I haven't tried this yet--but they say it is a good cooking apple also. I love them because they are so crisp --and have a SWEET-TART (yes, both) flavors. In my mind, there's nothing WORSE than a 'mealy' apple ---and several red apples fall into that category to me. Honeycrisp is not mealy at all.
I know there are lots and lots of other apples ---so tell me what your favorite eating apples are. Apples are SO good for us---and George and I try to eat 1/2 an apple most every day or so.
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On another subject, our lives are going to be terribly busy the next 2-3 weeks. This weekend we have company --and then we have THREE trips almost back to back. The middle trip of these three is to Jacksonville, Florida to attend my brother's Memorial Service. I will have my laptop with me--so hopefully, I can check with you part of the time. I don't know how much posting I'll get done---but I promise to catch back up after October 26.
Have a great October! Now tell me what your favorite eating apples are!!!!
Hugs,
An apple a day keeps the doctor away has recently been proved right. We have diced apple in a fruit salad on our meusli every morning and when I was working I always took one for morning tea. I like Red Delicious and Gala best. I use Granny Smith for cooking. Have a safe trip(s).
ReplyDeletegood to hear you found your favorite eating apple, honeycrisp, in your area! we always go for gala..
ReplyDeletean apple a day keeps the doctors away..
Lovely! My favorite fruit! Nice shot with the water drops!
ReplyDelete- Pixellicious Photos
Oh the apples are so beautiful on the trees. Our neighbors have a few trees for the deer and there's nothing like watching them pick and eat the apples. The Hilton (NY) Apple festival was last weekend. What fun. I've already made 4 batches of apple sauce. I mix either Cortland or Macintosh apples with Empire's, add a little cinnamon and that's it. It's sweet enough and delicious!! The Empires are my favorite. They're a cross between a Red Delicious and Macintosh. A great combination. If you want a list of all the different kinds and their origins check out.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nyapplecountry.com/varieties.htm
Safe Travel my friend and I await the new photo's of the sites along your travels. Blessings to you and your family during this difficult time as well. Love and Light, Nina P
That's an easy question, Honeycrisp, hands down. I can get them at the supermarket here or better yet at the farmers' market. They are grown locally. Best apple ever.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Granny Smith with caramel!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip..
I have tasted Red Delicious, Golden Delicious , Gala, and Braeburn..All are nice. But my favourite is an apple known as pink lady.
ReplyDeleteHow funny Betsy! As I started reading your post, I was thinking of an apple a coworker brought me once and how wonderful it was. I could not remember the name for the life of me.... then I read on.... Mutsu! That was it!! Oh, it was soooooo good. I've not had one since!
ReplyDeleteI like my apples crunchy and a bit sweet AND tart. I am not a golden delicious girl at all. Bleh. I like the Braeburn, the Pink Lady, and other varieties that are firm/crunchy/tart. The honeycrisp is good too!
Hey Betsy, I used to live in Winchester, Virginia, where WHITEHOUSE applesauce is made. ...any WHITEHOUSE products. They always have a parade every year and an Apple Blossom Festival. I can't tell you how many apples I picked there, and how much applesauce I made LOL...I love the golden delicious.
ReplyDeleteHey Betsy, Gala has always been my favorite for eating but i'm wanting to check out these Honey crisp! Be safe on your trips! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, my, Granny Smith hands down with lots of peanut butter, yummy!! I may have to go to Walmart today to get some, lol.
ReplyDeleteJackie
Hmm...I don't know if I can pick a favorite. Maybe my favorite is whatever apple I'm eating at the moment! And I'm like Jackie---I like them with a gracious plenty of Jif on top. I do think I'm going to try and find some Honeycrisp---they sound wonderful! Have a great weekend, Betsy!
ReplyDeleteHoneycrisp is my favorite apple too!! It's about the only apple I'll eat now. My mom and dad turned us on to them last fall.
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in GA we use to go to the Apple Barn in the fall. They had Winesap apples that I loved. They are very crispy, juicy and sweet with just a hint of tartness. Of course, that's the only time I ever found them.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm buying from a grocery store Cameo is my favorite. It too is hard to find but well worth it when I do.
I wish you safe travels these next couple of weeks my friend.
Great post Betsy. Apples are a great fruit and the variety is amazing. My girls only like red delicious. I loathe red delicious and only like granny smith (with peanut butter)
ReplyDeleteI will have to look for the honey crisp, but not sure if they make it allllll the way down here.
I hope your next few weeks go easy for you both and you can get back to your normal routine.
ps. Your weather talk is NOT boring. You mix it in with gorgeous photos so I don't even know when you are talking about weather. No sleepy sleep here!!!
Hugs Suz
Hi Betsey !! Hope all well with you and George !! The apples are looking so beautiful and has bought water in my mouth !! Nice post..Thanks for sharing..Unseen Rajasthan
ReplyDeleteMy favorite apples are the ones dipped in caramel and chocolate. :D
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip.
From 'way back in my childhood my favorite has always been the Tollman Sweet. A yellow apple with a distictive flavor. As a kid I used to climb into an ancient tree and munch and read a book. It ripens in Oct. so I'll be looking to see if local orchards still have any of those old trees still producing. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI like the winesap but not sure it is spelled that way. Neat post.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of or tried the honey crisp but will look for it. Have fun with your company and have safe trips. See you when you get back.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up on the honeycrisp, I'll be looking for them...
ReplyDeleteHave safe trips!!!!
Hi Betsy, Thanks for the info. I will have to try your apple. I had never heard of it. I like to cook with Granny Smith apples. An Amish lady told me they were good for making pies. Enjoy your company and your trip and your weekend.
ReplyDeleteI like the Gala, partly because they are relatively small and I don't waste any. Never could eat those giant apples.
ReplyDeleteYou and George have a safe trip. Know part of your journey will be difficult. My thoughts are with you and Ray's family.
Hi Betsy :) My fave apple is "Macintosh" from Michigan only!!!
ReplyDeleteI loveeesss your new layout here and colors are so Autumn-ish and pretty!
Hugs, Sunny
It funny but the taste of any apple depends on so many things. Usually I like gala of fuji but they can be bland and tasteless if conditions were bad.
ReplyDeleteHave a good trip.
Marnie
Right now we are buying one called Pink Lady. I had never seen them before this year. They are nice and juicy and crisp. I personally think that a lot of the apples that come from Washington state have been bred to the point of not tasting good and having too tough skin. I like local apples when I can find them. We had a wonderful apple tree when I was growing up called a Dutchess apple tree and they were so good for everything. We had a small orchard with 5-6 different types of trees, but those were the best.
ReplyDeleteMy tastes range from delicious to Pink Lady to Granny Smith. I guess I just like them all!
ReplyDeleteHi Betsy,
ReplyDeleteI love all kinds of apples except mushy ones. I like hard, crisp ones. I guess if I had to choose one I'd say Red Delicious.
Take care during your hectic schedule, see you soon.
Sunny :)
The best apple I ever had was in New Zealand but it's jut too far to go! Enjoy all those trip, even the memorial service although it may be emotional.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite apple is off of my aunt Kay's tree. Haven't a clue what it is but it is the most sour apple I've ever tasted. And I dearly love sour apples!
ReplyDeleteWe've been eating Gala apples from Washington (Yakima). They taste so good and I'm going to make butternut squash and apple soup with a couple of them. Makes my mouth water! Have a wonderful time. We'll be here!
ReplyDeleteCortland, with Honeycrisp as a close second and Gala following as the third.
ReplyDeleteHope all your busy is fun as well. Take care.
We know apples as green or red :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to say I'm a very poor apple eater, Betsy. When I do I eat Red Delicious. (I know..boring).
ReplyDeleteWhoot! A B.C. apple way back in Tennessee. I lean towards Jonagold ... good for eating AND baking. I need to get some!
ReplyDeleteApples!!! A huge subject as you may be finding out. Washington is covered on apple orchards--big commercial ones down to backyard ones. Washington is known as Apple country. I visitied a farm that grew 60 different varieties. They had tasting tables out on about 30 types. Some sooo good, some ok, some super sweet and some very tart. Very interesting. And yes they had HoneyCrisp. Very good too.
ReplyDeleteWell get all your visiting done, enjoy your selves and come back home with new stories and more pictures.
I said a prayer for Brother Ray. MB
I too only thought there were red and green apples when I was a child! My favorite is Granny Smith and have a big bowl on the counter now waiting to become an apple crisp today. Safe traveling!
ReplyDeleteBetsy: I love most apples and also like apple cider when fresh and sweet.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time visiting and traveling.
What a fun post! Going to have to hunt for the one you recommend! Grew up on McIntosh - didn't know there were others for a long time. Simply CAN NOT stand a mealy apple either!Presently my fav is the Gala! Some names here I never ever heard of, lol!
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip! Be blessed!
Hugs, Karin
Hello Betsy. Love the Fuji apple:)
ReplyDeleteHave a good trip.
Enjoy the weekend.
I'm going to have to try those honeycrisp apples now! They sound like they'd be good for baking with too! My favorite right now has been the Braeburn - but that might change. Have a safe trip and eat lots of apples! :-)
ReplyDeleteI like Fuji or Gala apples. I like the tartness.
ReplyDeleteKay
For the past two months I've been eating apple pears. They're shaped like apples, but you can taste the pear in them.
ReplyDeleteBetsy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful posting about apples. The photos are so nice and they make me want a good, juicy, Golden Delicious apple. It's the time for apple pies, apple butter. Thanks for this delightful posting. Have a great weekend.
I love Honey Crisp also...if you ever get the chance, try a Jonalicious....it is on a level with Honey Crisp in my book. Jonalicious are a cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious...I don't like Red Delicious at all...if I were tasting them to see if they were ready to eat, I didn't swallow it...so you know I really don't like them. But the Jonalicious is so crisp and kind of the sweet/tart flavor...and they keep well.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the Blushing Golden but I have never heard of anyone else having them...never seen them anywhere else. And I bet John, the owner cuts the trees down out there....they don't have quite the crispness of the others, yet they are not mealy...but oh, the flavor!
Oh, it's definitely apple season around here. We are hoping to take the kids to one of our local orchards to pick apples this weekend. I love Honeycrisp and Fuji apples for eating. Oh, and Golden Delicious, too. It's actually difficult to choose! And they are all so good this time of year. YUM! The taste of autumn!
ReplyDeletePraying for your family still, Betsy. Safe journey as you head to your brother's memorial service!
What a delightful subject!My all around favorite is grown right here in Manitoba,the Goodland.It is good to eat out of hand and makes the best pie and applesauce.
ReplyDeleteWhen buying in the stores I usually buy something that is new,just to try different varieties.Have a wonderful rest of October and be sure I will miss your posts.
Blessings,Ruth
I like Galas, but I haven't tried Honeycrisp. That could be the new favorite.
ReplyDeleteSee you when you return from all of your travel. Be safe.
Well, have a great trip..stay safe.
ReplyDeletewe eat fuji and winesap...but I use granny smith to make my pies..;-)
have to try honeycrisp..if they sell here!
I grew up with those unknown apples too. We had several big pear trees nearby and always ended up getting lots of both. I still have a couple of little trees, but they didn't do much this year. I blame it on a late freeze (or early since it was Spring). Have you tried a Winesap? One tree is those and it's a beautiful dark red, but I haven't seen it in stores. Have a great trip!!! Happy blogging!
ReplyDeleteRight now my favorite is Fuji, but I also like Braeburn and Gala. I eat an apple every day at 7:00pm.
ReplyDeleteIt keeps me from eating later in the night. Our local apple farm has Honeycrisps now. I am going to go out there this weekend and pick some. Washington Apples are the best
~~Hugs ~~
Hi Betsy dear, it's Granny Smith for me!
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip guys! You'll be missed, but we'll all be here come 26th.
Hugs!
Betsy you and George do be careful on your trips. Will look forward to hearing about them when you return. My favorite apple is Pink Lady.
ReplyDeleteWe use to get Rome apples in N.C. when we were going back & forth. I think I burnt the family out on apples. I like the firm juicy ones almost green.
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip.
Love GrannySmith apples!! Hope all is going well for you Betsy. =)
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago when I first started having back problems, the pain was so bad...I lost my appetite for everything...except apples. For a while, I lived on apples. Love them! My favorites are Golden Delicious, Jonagold and Honeycrisp!
ReplyDeleteLovely apple photos ;--)
ReplyDeleteI love Fuji and Gala apples best, but eat many varieties.
Hugs and blessings,
My Leah loves Honeycrisp.
ReplyDeleteI pack one in her lunch almost everyday. They are starting to get picked over at Kroger. Hope they get a new shipment in soon.
peronally, I'm not a big apple eater.
♥
Joy
I enjoy any apple that isn't sour. I have never heard of Honeycrisp apples but after you description I will be sure to look for them.
ReplyDeleteI like just about all apples as long as they are mealy or mushy. The tart juicy ones are the best. I love a granny smith with salt on it. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteI meant to say NOT mealy or mushy.
ReplyDelete