It's getting tough around here. McIntosh apple time!

UPDATE: One of our superhero friends located McIntosh apples in two Chuck's Produce stores in Vancouver, WA and brought us the apples today. Stephen was so happy to have his apples! If you've never tried them, here's what you need to know. 

Once you taste a ripe McIntosh, I bet you'll never go back. They are bright, shiny red, sometimes with patches of bright green. They bruise easily, so don't mind that. We eat banged up McIntoshes because they are that good. The skin is crunchy and pops in just the right way when you bite into it. The center is creamy, white, and melts in your mouth. The contrast between the crisp peel and the soft center is perfection! The inside isn't mealy or stiff at all. Unripe McIntoshes are tart, so put them in closed brown paper bags for a week until they're ready. They have a short season and are hard to find. They need cooler temps to grow, so there's one orchard up near Mt. Hood that grows them (Kiyokawa), and they often bring their apples to farmer's markets here in Beaverton.