A Better Apple in the Big Apple

Fall is in full swing in New York, and in the grocery stores here, it means lots of fresh local apples. At the Shop Rite (in Jersey City, actually), I bypassed the Red Deliciouses and Golden Deliciouses that you can buy everywhere, and found a bin of New York-grown “Macoun” apples in the middle of the produce area. I have never seen these before, not even during my undergraduate years Upstate.

Macoun is a muscular Macintosh with the sensibilities of a Fuji. In other words, it is a rather large apple, about fist sized, with a rosy complexion and a blush of green at the top. The flesh of the fruit is firm, with a pale green color, almost white. The flavor is robust and considerably sweeter than any apple I have ever tasted. Unlike the Macintosh, which can be mouth-puckering tart, Macoun has the perfect touch of tartness. And while the texture does not match the lovely crunchiness of a Fuji, it is firm and juicy in every bite—An absolutely adorable apple!

Stuff like finding the Macoun apple makes me miss the east coast, alas only briefly. When the air chills down and the foliage begins changing, nothing says more of the season than the scent of apples wafting through the air. That, to me, is what fall is all about.