Apple Tasting

We went up the road to Wilder Ranch State Park to check out their Harvest Festival, as well as the apple tasting sponsored by the Monterey Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers. Not that apples are a rare fruit, but some varieties are, and there are constantly new ones being developed that are only identified by letters and numbers. E-21-384, for example, has flesh as pink as any watermelon and is wonderfully juicy and flavorful. There were 77 varieties portioned out around the horseshoe of tables, starting with the sweetest and ending with the tartest fruit. We were interested to see that four of the varieties we grow at home were represented in the mix.You can see that the slices were tiny—just enough to get an idea of flavor. Someone figured that tasting every offering would be the equivalent of eating three whole apples. By the time we got to #77 I’m not sure I could tell one from another, but I took notes and there were definitely some standouts. The problem is that many of these varieties are available only from other enthusiasts, in the form of scions that need to be grafted onto a strong tree. I don’t think I’m quite ready to take up grafting, but it was a lovely morning, and a great chance to try some interesting local fruit.