Pi R Round

Ida Reds

Thanks to the wonders of social media I sometimes get treated to photos of citrus fresh off the tree. Ah, the wonder of it all....here in the Great Northeast we get our Cuties at the grocery store and are glad to have them.

Picked by the boss and me a few weeks ago

Turns out that locally grown apples are just as much of a wonder to folks who live in states where they won't grow. They have to buy those at the grocery store as well.

Thus as I was creating a couple of pi, which were round and not squared, I took a couple of pictures to share.

Alas I can't share even photographic evidence of said "pi"s, as they vanished from the kitchen quicker than mathematical equations vanished from my head the day I walked out the doors of Broadalbin Central for the last time. Sure were good though.

And stored in the cool area in the front hall

 

Road Trip....Bellinger's Orchard

Alan took me to visit our favorite orchard this morning, and then for a little drive around the countryside.

Apples

Lots of fun,tasty apples, cider donuts, it was great. Alas there are no photos of the donuts, because we ate them. If you go to Sundae on the Farm, stop by on your way....... 

More apples

The kind we bought

Maple products

Palatine Cheese, made by some other good friends of ours

An Apple a Day

For a little while at least. Made a quick trip to our favorite orchard, Bellinger's Orchard, up on Argersinger Rd. and bought half a bushel of Ida Reds, half a bushel of Northern Spies and a peck of Pink Ladies.

 Apples are my favorite fruit, and these are among my favorite varieties. Of course I have at least twenty favorites, but my tastes run especially to the hard, tangy, "keeper" apples that taste their best late in the seaon.

Don't they look wonderful? If anything by chance goes right next week I'd like to get back up there and pick a whole bushel of Pink Ladies. They will keep most of the winter and still taste like a million dollars, months from now...provided there are any left.

If you are looking for some apples to store for winter, or for your Thanksgiving pies, or just to eat today, tomorrow, the next day and so on, just for your health and for the entertainment of your taste buds, take a run up and get some, because I guess they will be closing soon.

The Best Surprises

Are sometimes round and grow on Ida Red Apple trees.

This is the first apple off a little tree we planted a few years ago. I didn't realize that it had set fruit this year, but Alan noticed when we were out taking photos of the pretty morning.

Amazingly, considering that it surrounded by old apple trees with tons of wormy apples, there wasn't a single worm in it.

And it tasted, far, far better than it looks.

Happy Birthday, Mac

Wow, it is the 200th birthday of one of America's favorite apples, and NY's number one variety, the McIntosh. Do read the article if you have time. It is really interesting.

(When I asked the men of how old they thought Macs were Alan answered that they came out in 83. Huh? But he thought I meant the computer. Talk about a generation gap.)

Road Trip...Bellinger's Apple Orchard

The merchandise

Is all good for you

Or maybe just plain good.

Or even both

Actually we were out taking care of some Gubmint business and the visit to the farm at 685 Argersinger Road was impromptu so to speak. However, as always, we came away happy.

Even as I type I am nibbling some slices of a fresh, crisp, tangy Ginger Gold and contemplating the bag of Cortlands that abuts the bag of its cousins out on the kitchen table.

Winter may be on its way but apple time is the best time......Soon as the really good "keeping" apples like Pink Ladies, Spys and Ida Reds are ready we will make another visit to pick our winter supply, but for now we bought a few pounds of ready picked to keep us going.

****Update, one Ginger Gold, the first apple of the 2011 season, is not going to be enough. My mouth is telling me to go cut up another one.

Apple Strangeness (but goodness)

Last year we picked our winter apples on November 11th. This year we kept hearing rumors about an early harvest, so despite the debatable weather, Alan and I went up to our favorite orchard today. It is barely time to pick Pink Ladies, which are what we decided to store this winter (they were the same this January as when we picked them and we ran out before they spoiled).

When I asked if they were ready the nice orchard lady said, "Well, sort of."




Turns out that the two other large local orchards had serious frost damage this year so everybody went to our orchard. And they picked almost all the apples ready or not. We found the two bushels we wanted, but it took some looking.

The orchard was still busy and there were still some apples (we left you a couple of bushels of pink ladies up by the picnic area if you are looking for some.)

However, I suspect that they will be out soon. Alan had to hunt for a long time to find about 3/8 of a bushel of Granny Smith, which are now buried in one bag or another under Pink Ladies...we will find them sooner or later. One thing is certain though. They taste as good as always.