What Apples to Buy in the Spring?
In this newsletter, I will talk about my go to apples when it comes to shopping for them in the spring time.
Tomorrow is the first day of spring, so I wanted to share which apples will be best for eating this season.
Longevity is especially important now, as it’s been almost six months since the domestic apple harvest. Only the apples that store the best will be worth eating at this time of year.
I want to consider which apples are still firm enough to be enjoyed when shopping at the grocery store this time of year. Here is what I suggest:
The first four apples on this list are all Honeycrisp crosses, but you’ll notice I don’t include Honeycrisp itself. I don’t think they’re worth buying at this time of year, as the quality just isn’t there in the ones you find now.
I also want to point out that some orchards or farm markets may still be selling apples. Feel free to ask them which apples are still tasting the best, and try to get a sample if you can. We often think of these options only in the fall during apple harvest season, but many places still have apples from last season that need to be cleared out.
Something to keep in mind: our spring is the fall for places in the Southern Hemisphere, like New Zealand. We do get some apples from there every year. You may not be able to find them in every store, but some will carry them. In years past, I usually don’t notice New Zealand apples until sometime in May.
One of my favorite varieties from New Zealand is called Lemonade. It’s a yellow-skinned apple that is firm with a more tart taste than you usually find in yellow apple varieties. Originally, I only saw them coming over from New Zealand, but they are now also grown in Washington.
I have a post you can read all about New Zealand apple varieties if you want to learn about what to look for down the road.
Lastly I want to share with you the apple cake that we made for St. Patrick’s Day this past Monday. I will have the recipe available in some format soon.
If you are interested in learning more about the best apples to buy at each grocery store, check out this page. The guides are available for our premium subscribers.
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If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I hoped you enjoyed today’s newsletter.