Today when I went for a walk, I noticed that an apple tree by the side of the road, which had been loaded with dark red apples, was now dropping them; they were lying ripe on the ground. I tasted one, and it had great flavor, tart with a hint of sweetness: "winey". I'd never gathered apples from this tree before, but felt it would be a shame to pass these up, even with their blemishes. I also picked a few of the sweet tasting, greenish yellow apples from the tree just to the west of my house, which have a flavor similar to that of a Golden Delicious. I've heard late ripening apples called "winter apples", because they tend to be good keepers. I now have a large bowl of these unnamed apples in my refrigerator, ready for fresh eating in the weeks ahead.
Gleaning! It is a noble tradition. Enjoy those apples, finds like this are memorable. The French film director Agnes Varda made an extraordinary film about gleaning. Have you seen it? (Rosemary, Melbourne)
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