Dear Customers,
Depending upon the weather during the summer just past, you can expect to get brilliant, almost fluorescent displays of maple leaves or . . . the exact opposite – dingy, muted, disappointing foliage. The most spectacular autumn colors are produced by a succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp (but not freezing) nights. It also hinges on favorable summer weather which we had in abundance but with very little rainfall. Too little or too much rain can stress the trees and cause the early dropping of leaves.
I’m not sure about the rest of our area, but we had such a good crop of fruit on our apple and pear trees last fall, that they all decided to take a year off! I looked it up and it’s called “biennial bearing” or “alternate bearing” and is completely normal for some varieties.
Fortunately, apple growers in New York State fared better with their crops. Back at the food show in August, we were able to pre-order several varieties of apples in the big 850lb. field “totes”. There are literally thousands of varieties of apples in existence, and with horticulturist’s help, that number grows a little each year. There are different types preferred for just plain eating, for making juice or apple cider, for baking and for processing into myriads of apple products available on our shelves.
Only about 7 years ago, for the first time the Gala apple out stripped the Red Delicious apple as the most-produced variety in the United States, ending its 50-year run at the top. Galas were first grown by crossing a Golden Delicious and an Orange Red back in 1930. It’s a sweet, crisp, mild-flavored apple which is equally popular for snacking or cooking.
Whether you subscribe to the adage “an apple a day . . . “ or just absolutely love the taste they impart to recipes – desserts in particular – now is the time to satisfy your apple craving with a tote bag of apples at an excellent price! There’s definitely a reason why October is National Apple Month!