An apple a day

One of the many things I love about fall is the apple crop. This year I've fallen in love with a new (to me) breed of apple, the Honeycrisp, which may be the best I've ever eaten. They're sweet, juicy, huge, and very crisp.

I've been extolling the breed to my friends, who are convinced by now that I'm a deranged produce fiend, but I don't care, because I have a crisper drawer full of Honeycrisp apples. If you're in Pittsburgh, you can find them at Giant Eagle and Whole Foods.

They're so good, they have their own website. The breed was developed at the University of Minnesota by crossing Macoun and Honeygold apples. I didn't know you could patent a plant, but UMN says that only licensed growers can propagate them, which explains why they're so expensive. Apparently they're a pain to grow, but worth it because of the high demand from addicts.

Here's an apple cobbler recipe by a fellow Honeycrisp obsessive. And here is the National Apple Museum in Biglerville, PA, near Gettysburg; it has guided tours and everything. I'm totally going to stop in next time I drive through Harrisburg. (An odd result of blogging is the way potential road trips pile up; or does that only happen to me? I still want to visit the syncrhonized fireflies in Tennessee and the Columbus Zoo manatees.)

Well, now I want an apple.