Hi there!
Welcome back apple season! Ginger Gold is a cousin of the Early Gold variety and is very similar with the exception of being slightly sweeter. Unlike other early season sauce varieties (Paula Reds and Lodi) these apples are very versatile and can be eaten fresh, baked, and used for sauce. They also store a little better and will last several weeks in the fridge. We get our apples from Rich and Jeff Eshleman of Eshleman Fruit Farm in Clyde, Ohio.
Like many farmers the Eshleman's felt the one - two punch of mother nature this year. Due to the unseasonably cold temperatures in January up to 2/3rds of the peach buds were frozen off. The apple trees fared a bit better as they can withstand up to a -25 degree freeze. Then the early spring downpours brought even more trouble for the peach trees with 1,000 dying out from waterlogged roots, or wet feet. Still Eshleman's peaches did better than other orchards with a 30% peach crop compared to the 0-10% crop other farmers experienced.
We'll keep bringing you delicious apples from Eshleman's for the rest of the season but if you are able to, go see their orchard for yourself. They will be offering
u-pick apples within the next two weeks.
-Your Fresh Fork Market Team
