Are you a freak for Firesides? Crazy about Cortlands?

You can purchase apples from a changing inventory of 50 varieties throughout the season – from long-time favorites to recent University of Minnesota introductions, including Minnesota’s new State Fruit, the Honeycrisp! Proceeds benefit the University of Minnesota’s apple research program. The AppleHouse is located 1 mile west of the Arboretum in Chanhassen on State Highway 5 and Rolling Acres Road.

For a daily update of available apple varieties call the AppleHouse Hotline at 952-443-1409.

For more on apple growing program at the U of M, check out Jenna Ross’ story on apple breeder David Bedford, father of the Honeycrisp.

GradientGirl send us this question from the wilds of south Minneapolis:

I just moved into a new house and my new yard features a pretty mature apple tree! However, the apple tree has a few problems. The main one is it started dropping apples like mad, as soon as they appeared and all summer long. Many of them weren’t ready yet. Was it the heat and drought? Is it the fact that the apple tree is shaded by a very sickly-looking pine tree? The other, even bigger problem is squirrels. I have voracious squirrels in my back yard who are constantly shaking apples off the tree, nibbling two bites, and then running off and doing whatever it is that squirrels do. I managed to harvest one, yes ONE apple, and it seems to be a classic pie apple–tart and kinda soft.

What can I do to make my apple tree healthy and save the bountiful harvest from the squirrels?

I don’t know much about apple tress, but I know many of you do. What advice do you have for GradientGirl? Is there a particular resource you would recommend? How do you keep you apples safe until harvest time?

Pink Lady, Braeburn, Granny Smith — Based on the huge selection of produce at your local grocery store, you’d think every season is apple season in Minnesota. On a good year, however, the true apple harvest starts around the end of July and doesn’t stop until the end of October.

Some swear by Honeycrisp. Other crave crab apples. I love Haralsons, but I’m beginning to learn that a good eating apple isn’t necessarily a good baking apple. What feels soft at the store, might be perfect for homemade apple sauce. Basically, you gotta pick the best apple for the job.

As summer fades into fall, there’s always a pan of apple crisp in my fridge. I’ve tried a lot of local varieties, but I’m still on the lookout for the perfect apple.

Tuesday night, I cut up a bag of State Fair apples. These little two-toned devils were deceptively tart and deceptively soggy. As I like my apples crisp, crisp crisp, the State Fair apple was not so great for snacking. However, it was a very good contender for baking.

Had I been thinking, I would’ve made a crumble crust with local honey, but the brown sugar offset the tartness nicely. I also mixed the apples with a little cinnamon, a pinch of garam masala, and a squeeze lemon. Forty-five minutes later, we had a very tasty dessert.

What is your perfect apple? Where do you go to find your favorites?

Wow! What a storm that was!

My rain gauge this morning says we got 4″ of rain last night. I won’t bother to say that I wish we’d gotten 1″ for the last 4 weeks, because I’m just happy to have rain, have power, and not have any major damage. Were you as lucky? Did you rush out and look at your garden this morning to see if everything survived? Any damage reports at your house?

Last night before the lightning show started, I walked around the yard and noticed there were plums on the ground. The fruit were on the huge old wild plum tree were ripe. I ran in the house and got my picking bag and then sat out under the tree and picked a whole bag of fruit. Today’s mission: Make wild plum jelly.

When the storm started, I knew I’d be back out there this morning, since the rain and wind would knock hundreds more plums off the tree. This morning’s walk confirmed that’s just what happened. So for the next hour or so, you know where to find me.

Hey! It’s another beautiful sunny beach day! I dream of days like this in March. But I could really use a cold, stormy day right about now. You too? Or are you grooving on this endless summer?

I just got in from a walk around the yard to see how my plant friends are faring (I sound a little like Jaime, don’t I?). The crunchy, crispy grass isn’t even acknowledging me, but my fruit trees wanted to have a word. They said they liked the drinks I’ve been giving them, but if I want to see those peaches get completely ripe, I need to do it more often. I nodded solemnly. I knew they were right.

The garden seemed happy (I just watered it pretty thoroughly two days ago). There are several mystery melons growing well. The names on the tags bleached like bones in the sun. The tomatoes and peppers are turning. The cabbage looks great. The garlic have been curing in the sun for several days and today I’ll bag them up for storage.

The honeybees were all hanging out in a tub with some water plants. I’m not sure if they are getting minerals from the soil, or water to take back to the hives to use to cool themselves, but their need for water is pretty clear too. I’ve been trying to see where they are gathering nectar lately. I thought I might see them on the sunflowers, but the bees there are native bees, not honeybees.

This particular bee, by the way, made her way over to the sunflower after working for a long time on the flowers of the “weed” we discussed in an earlier post.

I finished my walk with a trip to the mailbox, where yet another fall bulb catalog was waiting to lure me into visions of fields of daffodils welcoming spring. I’m tempted, I must say. An-ti-ci-paaa-tion. Beats lugging water to the peaches this afternoon. Maybe I’ll alternate. Lug a little, dream a little.