[exmadscientist]

What I have always wanted to see is a recommendation chart, something of the form "If you like (common apple), you might like (rare apples), which are also (characteristics)." That way when I have a few unusual options in front of me, I can make better guesses as to what's going to be good.

It would also help if I knew better places to seek out unusual, fresh apples. Even here in the heart of apple country, they lie low. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

[adapples]

I've started to do this for a few varieties (McIntosh, HoneyCrisp, etc., even Red D) but it is hardly comprehensive https://adamapples.blogspot.com/search/label/You%20May%20Als......

[JshWright]

Which apple country? Here in central New York there are a ton of orchards that will grow a few rows of a bunch of different varieties. You have to go out a few times in the fall, as different varieties ripen at different times, but you can easily find dozens of different options in the area.

[exmadscientist]

Seattle, so the giant near-monocultures of Red Delicious turned into Cosmic Crisp are just across the mountains :)

Hunting for interesting apples has been very much a passive activity for me, but I'm still surprised at how little there is available here given how much is grown locally. To see stores full of NZ apples in the height of the season is just sad.

But, hey, at least we've got Opals and Cosmic Crisps pretty much everywhere around here. It's nice having something better than Honeycrisp at the supermarkets, but it does reduce the need to explore.