Foraging Wild Apples
I'm astounded by the variety of colors, shapes, and flavors of wild apples. There are some that are ruby skinned, and some with pale green, more blushed in pinks, and others in ruddy yellows. They can be clean skinned or russeted, rough to the touch, or smooth. Some are with reticulated reds and streaks, and apples of rounded shapes, and some that are more like donuts with deeply indented stem and bloom ends. There are some that are small, crabapple-sized and cherry like in form. They each taste differently. There are flavors of tart, bracing sour, sweet, mild, and richness in flavor and fragrance, while a few with more musty and earthy notes. Others are bitter, sharp, and strong. Those can be my favorite as they are complex in flavor.
They have hybridized, outcrossed, and bred among other trees in a public open space, spread by the mobility of feet, wings, and paws of many people and animals over countless years with hungry mouths eating a fresh apple on the trail. Were they seeded by old apple cores left behind by the sum of the many creatures of the past? And so then which original cherished varieties? It is unknown to history.
They are easy to collect. These pomes are juiced and blended together to make the most wonderful, freshly made cider.
I love fall and its diverse bounty, especially among the wild apples.
