Contestants in the North Belgrade pie taste-off, September 19, 2026
Tonight was the annual apple pie taste-off at Camp Merryweather in North Belgrade. We’ve been doing it for nearly thirty years. This year we shook things up a bit by baking galettes instead of two-crust pies because Cammy is convinced that you can taste the apples better without all that extra crust. Nonetheless, the contest was subject to the same strict rules as always: each “pie” is a single variety and the crust, spices (1/4 tsp cinnamon) and sugar (1/4 cup) are the same for each. Everyone (22 of us) got a small piece of all three galettes on paper plate divided into three sections. We tasted, discussed loudly and voted. It’s a wild and fun event. This year we featured last year’s winner, Red China, and two newcomers to the contest, Maiden’s Blush and Chance. Maiden’s Blush is an old beloved New England heirloom, and Chance is one of the seedlings discovered here on the farm, a cross between Duchess and Egremont Russet. It’s a firm and tasty dessert apple and, as it turns out, a star in a galette. It was the hands-down favorite. And if you remember from an earlier post, it was named after our oldest grandchild. Hooray for Chance.