Foo. I thought I was going to get an apple tree today but I changed my mind on what kind I wanted and they didn't have what I was looking for. I'm so indecisive! I thought I wanted a Honey Crisp which is a beautiful fresh eating apple. They had loads of these trees. However it's not the best for baking. So I was thinking what would I do with a whole tree full of of apples? Why, I'd bake with them of course! I'd be ill trying to eat so many fresh apples at once. So perhaps the honey crisp is out. It's a sweet apple and not firm enough to hold its shape when baking. (Which is what makes it such a wonderful eating apple.)
My neighbor is getting a Spitzenburg apple tree. Our deal was we both wanted apple trees but you need two different varieties to properly pollinate and set fruit. She'd already picked the Spitzenburg variety which is both a tasty fresh eating apple in addition to being one excellent for baking. I thought I might change to a Jonathan apple (which was a cross pollinated variety with Spitzenburg being one of the parents and so has many of the same qualities and is also quite good.) I'm wondering then if I can even get this tree because everything I've been reading has mentioned that the Jonathan's be pollinated with a Red or Yellow Delicious or an Early Harvest variety, not a Spitzenburg. Gah! I don't know.
The other choice is to go with an Elstar apple (a cross between Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie apples) which is sweet/tart and good for baking and cooking/sauce making but it doesn't keep fresh for very long. It also only sets fruit every other year which would be disappointing as I have only space for one tree.
The Rome Beauty has similar characteristics to the Elstar apple but is sweeter. (And according to wikipedia has democratic leanings Heehee.) Though I've also read other reviews that it's mealy and easily infested by worms and not so good for eating out of hand. ::sigh::
I guess I don't need to make a decision this minute but it sure would be nice to just buy a Spitzenburg and make my neighbor get something else! Ha! If only...
5 comments:
Wow! I didn't know there were so many varieties I hadn't heard of, as well as having to cross pollinate with a different variety! I agree with needing to have a baking variety. My neighbors have a tree that produces small apples (don't know variety), and they can never keep up with the production...
Let us know what you decide on!!!
Personally I'd go with a Honeycrisp since it is my favorite apple. But then again my family likes mushy things in their baked apple treats. So mushy is good for me. I also love Ginger Golds. You might like them since they hold their shape when cooked. The only strange thing about it, is that it is a summer apple. It is one of the first ones to be ripe around here. I usually start seeing them at the end of August where I live. BTW I've never grown apples, but I do love eating them when they come out at the farmer's markets.
Tough decision. Have you checked out any of the rare fruit varieties?
Jenn,
Granny Smith if you can still get them. We have one and the apple crisps we make are great.
Check out this website for apple info!
http://www.orangepippin.com
I planted a Liberty apple last year. Had one to harvest this September. Absolutely delicious.
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