On October 3, 2015, the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market hosted its annual apple tasting. Even on a chilly, rainy fall day, students and townies alike arrived at the market early to grab a spot in line to sample copious amounts of apples. I eagerly waited in the crowd, shivering from either the cold or my excitement (or both).
Photo by Meredith Ross
For those of us whose chances of scoring free food usually involve pizza from a national chain, the apple tasting is seriously a luxury. The market offers every type of apple you could imagine, from the classic Red Delicious to more obscure ones like the Asian pear.
Photo by Meredith Ross
They even include descriptions of some of the varieties, so you know exactly what you’re about to shove in your mouth. Not that it really matters. If it’s an apple, I want it. Do take note of the farmers’ names though; supporting local farmers is the way to go. So much respect for their apple-cultivating abilities.
Photo by Meredith Ross
Oh, and even if they say a certain apple is best for cooking and baking, don’t let that stop you from eating it straight up. I completely fell in love with the Cortland apple — perfect for a classic apple pie — at my first apple tasting, and I bought a huge bag all for myself. Go ahead and judge me. You’d do the same thing if you tried one.
Photo by Meredith Ross
Next time the apple tasting rolls around, be sure to have your toothpick in hand, ready to inhale as many apple slices as possible in a two-and-a-half hour timeframe. Don’t worry — you don’t actually have to stay that long. Unless you take multiple laps around the sampling tables, which I definitely did by accident. (Was it really an accident?)
Photo by Meredith Ross
If you missed out on the apple tasting this year, but still want to sample your way through the farmers’ market, be sure to check out the soup tasting in November. Get your spoons ready and start slurping.