Fresh Picked

Oh, the pleasures of biting into a ripe, juicy apple plucked fresh from a tree that you have grown. Since the beginning of time, apples have been a coveted fruit. Look at look at Adam and Eve? Apples are even harder to resist if they are freshly pick from your own trees. When grown from your own trees you are able to pick them at the perfect state of ripeness.   That means it is full of flavor, vitamins and the minerals our bodies need.

 

Fruit trees are also very attractive and look fantastic incorporate directly into your landscape.   No orchard required. Many produce outstanding displays of blossoms, are extremely colorful while in fruit. The deciduous varieties in fall give us fantastic harvest autumn color.   To grow great fruit trees you need a space that has lots of sunlight and well drained soil, although all species and cultivated varieties also have their own special requirements.

 

So don’t worry about needing a large open space. Many fruit trees are now available in dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties, perfect for smaller spaces. Al’s has an exceptional selection of fruit trees just waiting to meet your home garden!

 

This year, we want to spotlight two varieties that have irresistible fruit, and are easy to grow, making them an easy edition to the home garden. 

 

 

The Pink Lady apple is an exciting new apple first produced in Western Australia a number of years ago. It is rapidly gaining popularity, especially in the Pacific Northwest where it grows well and its distinct flavor has been discovered.

Pink Lady is a natural cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams varieties. The surface is distinguished for its attractive reddish-pink blush over a green background. Though Pink Lady is similar to other apple varieties as a good source of fiber and cancer fighting antioxidants, it is set apart by its exceptional flavor. Thanks to a unique sugar/acid balance, its flavor is stronger than most other apples. It can be described as both tangy and sweet with a very appealing crispness.  

Pink Lady gains even more recognition for what Horticultural experts refer to as tightly packed cells in this apple, which make it very firm. This denseness allows Pink Lady an exceptionally long storage life. It is also slow to turn brown when sliced which means that it retains its appealing bright white appearance for a greater length of time.

Pink Lady’s extraordinary qualities make it very versatile. It is excellent in fresh salads and pies or when used for sauce, freezing or baking. The options are endless with this apple.

 

 

Honey Crisp is the new sensation in the apple world, with large, sweet apples and crisp "to-die-for" texture!  Believed to be an offspring of Macoun and Honey Gold, Honey Crisp was introduced in 1991 by the University of Minnesota breeders at Excelsior, MN.  

Honey Crisp fruit is characterized by an exceptionally crisp and juicy texture. Its flesh is cream colored and coarse, while the appealing outer appearance is mostly red over yellow. The flavor ranges from mild and well-balanced to strongly aromatic, depending on the degree of maturity. It has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples in sensory evaluations.

 

Honey Crisp fruit has shown excellent storage characteristics. The outstanding flavor and texture can be maintained for at least six months in refrigerated storage. Honey Crisp is a great choice for fresh eating, cooking and cider.