There is no missing the hint of resentment in Allen's voice. Like many growers, she and her family cultivate dozens of varieties, and have worked hard to convince the public that there is more to life than the Honeycrisp.
Apples have been falling off the trees for months, but now, in the prime of the season, there's all the more reason to try something new. "There's an apple for everyone," says Allen.
Taking a bite out of the myriad of options is particularly easy if you live where we do. Pennsylvania is the nation's fourth-largest apple-producing state, according to the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program, with the nearby counties of Adams, York, Berks, Lehigh, Lancaster, Schuylkill, Cumberland, and Chester being some of most prolific. Apple-growing has been important in Pennsylvania since the 1800s, and there are about 300 commercial apple growers, producing about 10 million bushels every year, even in years with wacky, wet weather like this one.
Every eater has a favorite type. Macouns, which are great eating apples, have a cult following. Smokehouse is great for cooking. Suncrisps taste like green grapes, and keep for up to six months. Pink Ladies are large and will be picked in November. If you see it, try a Ginger Gold, even if you aren't a green apple fan. It is crisp and much sweeter than than you might expect.
Pears also thrive in our region but are harder to grow and harder to sell, so are less abundant. But no less delicious. Many apple-orchard owners also grow pears, with Bartlett, Seckel, and Bosc common types, although the conditions for pear-growing are better (basically, less buggy) in the western states. (Check out the accompanying story on the Asian pears that are grown, surprisingly, in our region.)
