Yes, my son and grandson got to them before I got home from work. They said they were delicious. I'm getting ready to munch down on one of the Kindil Sinap.

Sally

Great fall gift from Annie!

I love the fall. It's the only time we see Macs and Cortlands down here and I can't get enough of either. I eat 3 or 4 apples every day. They're not all organic, but you can't have everything.

Cindy, these aren't technically "organic" either. I avoid sprays whenever I can, and I use those red plastic orbs spread with Tanglefoot and pheromone traps and I use fly predators for the barnyard and that keeps pests down too. The neighbor who has the Jonagold, though, I think uses spray a couple of times a year, which is still better than the "every 10 days" schedule the commercial orchards use. My old Wolf River seems to be nearly immune to pests, but it oxidizes nearly the minute it is cut and isn't great for just eating, although wonderful for cooking.

And, of course, the Jonagolds were so delicious this year, so I try to ignore the spray and just eat them while they are fresh and good. Like you, I love fall, it's my favorite season.

Annie

Oh, what a great gift! I would never have thought of sending apples in the mail. LOL

Empires and Cortlands are my favourite cooking apples.

I'm hoping to get out to an apple orchard this weekend and buy some. I've got a heck of a craving for an apple pie.

I'm hoping they'll last till I can bake a pie for Jerry. His birthday is in a week, and it's a tradition to make him apple pie, his favorite. I think I'll have to make it early this year.

Sally

Apple pie, crumle, fool, baked, compote, fritters, danish, cake, mincemeat, chutney, so much to do with the humble apple - not surprising that we love them so much. Can you think of any other recipes? Great gift to send someone!

Yes it is. Texas isn't exactly the apple capital of the world. Even at the best grocery stores, it's hard to find good, fresh and unique apples. They'll put up signs this time of year stating, "This year's crop!" Unfortunately, that's usually not the organic apples with those signs. I guess that means the other apples are last year's crop.

Actually, my favorite way to eat apples is fresh. I do want to try making apple cake some day. I think I'd like that. I like apple muffins, so why not cake?

Sally

Gorgeous. And with proper storage temp they will last for that pie. I've had an unusually good harvest this year and still testing different storage solutions though fresh is the best. Yet some continue to ripen a bit and seem to be just as good two weeks later having been held in the crisper drawer. I just check for minor flaws and bruising and use those first.

I still have a few crates picked last weekend i need to check today, one by one, for that.

Starting another apple/pear butter batch today. Have enough for another gallon of cider...Asian pear and green tomato fridge pickles were a hit so i'll start a couple more quarts.

I put aside the choice unblemished fruit for fresh eating. One crate was picked three weeks ago and still considered prime stored in the cellar that has steady cool temps.

Learning as i go having the best apple pears season since planting a dozen or more yrs ago.

We just got back from the apple orchard. I bought a 10-lb bag of Macouns. A cross between a MacIntosh and another kind. Excellent eating and cooking apple.

They had samples of Ambrosia, oh my, Annie have you tried those??? Soooo good. I think they'd be a better eating than cooking apple, so sweet. They're about half again as much as the Macouns I might go back again and get some.

Spartans, Empires, Cortland, IdaRed, Honey Crisp, so many kinds I like. Not enough frig space. LOL

Yes, I've tried Ambrosia, but they are earlier and none of the neighbors grow them, so I would have had to go buy some to send to Sally, LOL. I like them, and the grandkids love them, because they are sweeter than most of my cooking apples.

My favorite last year was SunCrisp, but this year it'll probably be something else, because I'm fickle and change my mind every time I try a new variety. (grin) The SunCrisp aren't ready yet, or I'd have found some room for a couple of those too, because I'd have gone and bought some for myself!

Annie

Lucky Sally.

My apple tree was surprisingly prolific this year. And I had nothing to do with it.

However, If I had a Honeycrisp apple tree, I'd prosecute all trespassers - including deer and raccoons ☺

Honeycrisp is the only apple I refuse to cook with, because it is so perfectly delicious on its own, that I prefer to eat out of hand.

Sol

Sweet Annie strikes again! You are a lucky recipient of her generosity!

I am in love with honeycrisp apples. DGS #2 is also an apple lover. Last two years it was Envy apples, prior to that it was Fuji's. Recently though I had a couple of large red delicious apples and was pleasantly surprised by their crispness and flavor. But hands down, my fave is the honeycrisp!

I love Honeycrisp, too, but rarely buy them because of the price, so I was delighted to receive some in the package. So far, I've enjoyed all the "Annie's Apples" I've eaten!

Annie, are any of these apples own root, or are they grafted? I was thinking of trying to sprout some of the seeds just to see what would happen. I know the chilling hours here in Texas wouldn't be enough, but maybe up in Oklahoma they would work? I don't know. I do know they grow apples in Arkansas, which is just next door to OK.

I was especially interested in the Kindil Sinap, since it's rare.

Sally

I would think the Kindil Sinap would be the most likely to grow, it originated in Turkey or the Ukraine, there is an argument apparently. One of the on-line apple places sell them, one of the "Apples of Antiquity" places, but theirs are grafted and they say they are good from zones 5-9.

Unfortunately, I have no idea about the origin of those trees. The Jonagold is relatively new, so I'd guess it was a grafted tree. The Empire and Kindil have been there as long as I can remember, so maybe not, but I don't know. The HoneyCrisp is fairly new, so I'm guessing it's probably also grafted.

The Kindil is a relatively small tree naturally, you could grow one and see what you get!

Annie

I think I'll try it. Thanks.

Sally

Those apples look yummy. We too are inundated with apples. We have red delicious that were planted over 40 years ago, so they are still what red delicious used to be and they are sweet, crisp and wonderful. We have some old golden delicious as well. I've made stewed apples and applesauce, but I'm reluctant to go further as everything else I'd do with them would only add more calories, which I certainly don't need. But I am enjoying them as a sweet dessert as is.

AnnieD, we have old Red Delicious also, and they taste far different than the ones in the stores now. They are firmer, crisper, not quite as sweet, and more complex in flavor. The problem with Red Delicious, of course, is that they do not store well, after the first couple of weeks they get softer and kind of "mealy", and that's when people decide they don't like them. Unfortunately, they aren't a great cooking apple, so we eat all we can then press the rest into the cider mix for a sweet flavor note.

Annie

Yes, you offered me Red Delicious, and my only experience with them is the ones from the grocery store, and I don't like them. I may change my mind if I ever have the chance to eat one fresh off an old tree.

Sally

Sally, there's always next year if I have a good crop of Red Delicious!

Annie

I remember Red Delicious apples from my childhood in the 1950s. They were crisp, juicy and wonderful. I no longer buy them because the commercial ones are such a mealy disappointment.

In addition to giving them away to neighbors, I've been making applesauce. I see on line where you can freeze it. Anyone try that? I'm not into going through the hassle of canning.

I often freeze applesauce -- especially in 1/2 cup amounts to add to baked goods. :)