I was unaware of this, but it seems that our beloved local apple, the Albemarle Pippin, is in fact a native of New York (just like Your Correspondent, here). The Big Apple has decided to get serious about jettisoning the image of the vile-tasting but very photogenic Red Delicious Apple in favor of the homely-but-yummy Pippin. This all goes along nicely with the cresting wave of the local food movement, as well. A blog entry
This annual event, truly a unique opportunity to explore the essence of the apple, has been among our most popular programs. Supermarkets today provide only a limited sample of the thousands of apple varieties once available to 19th-century fruit lovers. Monticello Fruit Gardener Kerry Gilmer and Gabriele Rausse, director of Gardens and Grounds, will provide numerous apple varieties, each introduced with a discussion of their history and culture. Participants will taste, savor, and, most importantly, rate each apple in this two-and-a-half-hour program.
