At The Sussex Peasant we buy our apples from Sussex growers including John at Ringden Farm and Bob at Oast Farm, and at this time of year the choice can be extraordinary.
There are apples that are tart and crisp, others are honeyed, nutty or almost pear-like; Apples are best eaten straight from the tree and others that improve after some time in the store.
One of my favorites is Ashmead’s Kernel, an old English variety that dates back to around 1700. It’s not necessarily the prettiest apple in the basket, but it has firm, crisp flesh and a wonderful sweet-sharp, aromatic flavor.
Then there is Egremont Russet with its rough golden brown skin and distinctive nutty taste, and Blenheim Orange, first discovered growing near Blenheim Palace in the eighteenth century. Cox’s Orange Pippin is better known, but there’s a reason it’s endured: properly ripened, it has far more flavor and complexity than many modern supermarket varieties. And that’s before you cook in apples.
The joy of buying from a grower that produces several varieties is that the selection changes as the fall progresses. Different apples ripen at different times, so what’s best this week may be replaced by something completely different a few weeks later.
They are also worth treating differently in the kitchen. A sharp cooking apple is hard to beat in a pie or cake, while some of the firmer eating varieties are excellent sliced into salads with Sussex cheese. Apples also work brilliantly with pork, and if you have too much sitting in the fruit bowl, chutney is one of the easiest ways to make the season last a little longer.
There is also a farming story behind each of these varieties. This summer’s heat and drought have been tough on fruit growers, but different varieties respond differently to severe weather. Growing a mix rather than relying on a single crop helps spread both the harvest and the risk.
But perhaps the best argument for growing this old variety is much easier: they taste good.
This week marks the start of The Sussex Peasant’s Big Autumn Markets, starting at St George’s Church in Kemp Town on October 9 before traveling across Sussex. If you come across an apple you’ve never heard of, ask what it tastes like and try it.
You may find it quite difficult to buy apples by color.
Find out more at www.thesussexpeasant.co.uk