Greetings Everyone (8/31/18)

Greetings Everyone; the apples are coming fast and furious now, amazing how everything is ripening 2-3 weeks ahead of “normal,” really haven’t seen anything like it….from my conversations with other growers, we are all experiencing the same thing. Wonder if that has some bigger meaning, like we are in for a big winter, which we haven’t had for a few years….who knows.  This week we are going to focus on Sansa, a really sweet and crisp variety that is a cross of Akane & Gala….will have a few at all of the markets, but just a few so get them while you can! Everyone really seems to like Akane, the parent of Sansa and a really fragrant apple, this will be the last week of those at the markets. Gala will make their 1st appearance of the year. I know you can get Galas at the grocery store, but fresh off the tree Galas are really like candy, sooo very sweet and juicy. Various markets will have Mollies, a beautiful sweet variety that many of you picked at the U-pick last week - we have a few left and will be at the markets. The same goes for Kindercrisp, a really small, intensely sweet variety that if they weren’t so small, would be this huge commercial success and would supplant Honeycrisp as the favorite apple…but they don’t size so commercially were a flop, but we love them anyway!! Have a few Italian Plums left which will go to some lucky market and a few Mt Royal Plums will be at markets as well. Mt Royal are almost blue in color, kinda look like Italians, but have a very different flavor profile…..very sweet. So it looks like about everything this week is focused on sweet, which it pretty much is, other than Akane. Don’t fret you “tarts,” your favorite “Jonathans” are coming soon!!
 
At the U-pick this week, we are picking Bella, which are about as close to Mollies as you can get…a larger bright red variety that is sweet and crunchy. Also picking a few Pink Sparkle, a pink flesh variety that is true to most red or pink flesh varieties, it is pretty tart and zippy , will want to get there early for those, not a lot of them and will go quickly! Will also be picking Frostbite, a real small (similar to Kindercrisp) bright red variety that is pretty sweet and is the breeding stock for one of our later ones that is very popular….Keepsake.  And finally, Haralson, a larger, softer texture, tart variety that is great for baking, pies or sauce.
 
Hope to see you at the markets or the U-pick.

Walt
Masonville Orchards
970-231-6399
walt@masonvilleorchard.com
www.masonvilleorchard.com