Apples

Late fall is often a time when I return to eating apples.  The other Okanagan and B.C. fruit is done and I’m not ready to eat a lot of the fruit that comes from farther away.

When I was in Nova Scotia last fall we took a trip through the Annapolis Valley and stopped at a farm where you could take a hay ride to their orchards.  It wasn’t the first time I’d had Nova Scotia apples, but it reminded me how delicious and crunchy they were and made me wonder again why we don’t get these apples in other parts of Canada (i.e. Saskatchewan).  I have no idea what variety those apples were; they had them in the stores in Halifax, too, but I didn’t pay attention to the names.

Now, toward the end of October in Saskatchewan I’ve suddenly developed a craving for those tart, crisp Nova Scotia apples.

So I decided to do a bit of research into apple varieties grown in Canada.  The main provinces that grow apples are British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.  Most of us are probably familiar with Golden and Red Delicious, Granny Smith , McIntosh, Spartan, and perhaps one or two others such as Fuji and Royal Gala.  But there are so many more!  Take a look at http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/can/4480000-eng.htm

So why don’t we get apples from other places?  Where are the Idareds, the Cortlands, the Vista Bellas, the Honey Crisps, the Edens, and the Sintas?  I’ve sent an e-mail to Agriculture Canada (the above site) to ask.  Maybe I’ll get an answer.  Meanwhile, I’ll keep missing those Nova Scotia apples.  Maybe I’ll ask at my local grocery store, too, about this.

Then, this Saturday at the Farmers Market there were Saskatchewan apples – Prairie Sensation, Sweet Saffron, Patience, Autumn Delight, Granny Annie and Prairie Rose.  Don’t they sound wonderful?  I got to taste them all and I think my favourites are Sweet Saffron (a yellow apple) and Prairie Rose (dark red).  These are all eating apples and not crab apples.