Spring cleaning

April's Ashmead

In April I reach into the back of my disorganized refrigerator and eat the very last of my fall hoard. There are always a few surprises.

So it is that in the past few weeks I have had my last Lady Alice (excellent flavor still crisp and firm, if ever-so-slightly rubbery), Ananas Reinette (inedible) and Ashmead's Kernel (an absolute marvel). Also a few other odds and ends, with similarly mixed results.

On blossom's cusp

Earlier today at two local apple orchards, blossoms are just beginning to burst forth.

Starting to flower at Nagog Farm in Littleton, Mass.

Some trees were all green, and others in full bloom, but most were in between.

Nothing but the tooth

It's a personal thing

As usual this time of year I am eating many of the hard, dense apples that populate supermarkets.

Tooth, like taste, is fundamental to an apple's quality and is a personal preference. Some people just can't get their teeth around the really hard apples.

Meanwhile I am noticing real differences in the texture of what's in the stores.

Off-season apples are stored for months and transported, sometimes for thousands of miles. It's no wonder that growers and retailers (and consumers) prefer sturdy fruits that keep well and withstand the rigors of all that handling.

And the seasons they go up and down

Okay, this one is a bit tricky. Blogger has a hidden view that graphically shows the cyclical, seasonal nature of this blog.

Here's how.