Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple Rankings

applerankings.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

471–480 of 484 posts

Re: Apple Rankings

#471

Post by m463 »

nonethewiser wrote: post #299
m463 wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember going to one of the local markets and asked the guy putting out the apples if the organic apples were really worth it. He immediately pulled out an organic apple (fuji if I recall correctly) and the same type, but non-organic. He cut out a slice of each apple and let me taste it. The organic apple had significantly better flavor. He explained that the drawback was that the organic apples would go bad quick…

> The organic apple had significantly better flavor. What are you concluding from that? You can get the same apple 1 week apart and have a significantly different experience. Or you could get the same apple at the same time from different batches and have a significant difference. Or you could get two apples from the same batch at the same time and they could vary a lot.

Well, I suspect at a minimum that the organic apples were turned over quicker, and possibly were picked recently.

Re: Apple Rankings

#472

Post by swasheck »

Blackthorn wrote: post #407
Dudical wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Red Delicious was described as "mealy", which sounds like an out of season apple. The science behind long term storage of apples made it really common to have edible apples all year round but when critiquing you've got to take freshness into account. This site has a comedy bend but with all the interest I'd love to see it embrace a rotten tomatoes kind of style (the critics vs. the masses).

I've had red deliciouses direct from the farmstand and they're mealy. They really are just bad.

apparently the red delicious was selectively bred for appearance over taste and texture according to an article (which i cannot find) i read a few years ago (and somehow retained this information).

now the darlings are, apparently, pink lady and honeycrisp, which are both excellent apples.

Re: Apple Rankings

#473

Post by Ensorceled »

Karawebnetwork wrote: post #322
Ensorceled wrote: post #268

This is weird site run by someone who clearly isn't an apple fan. My personal favourite apple, the Cortland, is rated "24 Despicable" because: > "The general public usually doesn’t have access to an apple fresh off the tree in a cold orchard. My rankings must reflect what is available to regular folks." In Ontario, this apple is only available for a few weeks in the fall because it ages and travels poorly. At least t…

As someone from Québec, I share your surprise. The general public absolutely has access to this apple, either from picking at the orchard directly (very popular social event) or from the local growers that sell at the grocery store.

In Ontario, you can get it at Loblaws or Sobeys for a brief time every fall.

Re: Apple Rankings

#474

Post by thomasahle »

mike_d wrote: post #368
thomasahle wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 2) The time of year makes a HUGE difference. It seems obvious when I say it, but different varietals from different farms are best in different weeks. Exactly. Don't expect to get a good apple in March. Eat something else instead.

I grew up in the apple producing capital of the world. There is no such thing as a fresh apple in retail. They are all picked just before they are ripe and stored in massive cold storage rooms with all the oxygen pumped out. Apples can spend up to two year in storage, and the best tasting sweetest apples are often the ones that have been stored the longest because they form more sugars. Your entire concept of when an…

While the technology for cold-storing apples is impressive, I don't believe most apples do well after two years in storage.

According to https://extension.umd.edu/resource/keeping-it-cool-cold-stor... the maximum is 6 months, while some apples can handle only 1-2 months.

According to https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2007-0956.ch020?cook... the antioxidant activity in apples gradually drops off after three months of storage in the cold. An apple stored for nearly a year will have almost no antioxidants remaining in it whatsoever.

This definitely fits with my experience that apples bought just before the seasons starts (so 11 months in storage) are not worth eating; and the best apples are the ones picked straight from the tree.

Re: Apple Rankings

#475

Post by maxerickson »

tylervigen wrote: post #57

I once spent a month blind taste-testing apples with my wife to compare the apples in our supermarket. We learned 4 things: 1) Most of the Honeycrisp varietals that make it to market are good (Wild Twist and Cosmic Crisp being our favorites), but… 2) The time of year makes a HUGE difference. It seems obvious when I say it, but different varietals from different farms are best in different weeks. Honeycrisp has an adv…

I get Honeycrisp at my local market that I don't like much (other bags are great).

I have some hope that the newer trademarked varieties will be able to/choose to control for growing conditions so that they are more consistent.

Re: Apple Rankings

#478

Post by allenp »

zhynn wrote: post #385
elil17 wrote: post #71

This list entirely ignores many of the highest rated apples. Adam's Apples, a long time apple reviewer, has six top ranked apples ("three stars, exceptional apple worth a quest"), all of which are exceptionally hard to find. https://adamapples.blogspot.com/p/apple-ratings-explained.ht...

In-season macoun remains my favorite and is relatively easy to find out here in east-central vt. Cox's orange pippin however.... that's my favorite and it is so hard to find.

Reasonably similar and slightly easier to find is Chestnut Crab - Moore's Orchard in Pomfret grows them.

https://adamapples.blogspot.com/2018/08/apple-of-week-chestn...

Re: Apple Rankings

#479

Post by k470 »

I thought that were something wrong with me because the ranking is reversed compared with my taste but it seems that most people here are angry too. Well, I'll keep my Fuji apples then.

Re: Apple Rankings

#480

Post by smoyer »

anthonybsd wrote: post #424
smoyer wrote: post #423

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Came to say the same ... Bought a bag today around noon and they are half gone!

You are lucky. Where I am (Northern NJ) Ginger Gold's been gone out of stores for a few weeks now. Highly seasonal :(

Central PA .... Shouldn't be too different from your seasons.
Post reply on HN