Shining an apple on your own T-shirt might be perfectly acceptable when you are preparing the fruit for your personal consumption.
But if you’re polishing apples to entice passersby to pick one up to enjoy while they peruse all that a fall festival has to offer… well, there might be a more appetizing way.
“I use a magical towel that I got from Narnia,” said Aubrie Kendall, 10, who claimed to be the best apple polisher in the world. She and her friend Amelia Heil, 15, were volunteering Friday afternoon in the gazebo at Franklin’s Applefest. The gazebo is centrally located and serves as the information booth.
But if you’re polishing apples to entice passersby to pick one up to enjoy while they peruse all that a fall festival has to offer… well, there might be a more appetizing way.
“I use a magical towel that I got from Narnia,” said Aubrie Kendall, 10, who claimed to be the best apple polisher in the world. She and her friend Amelia Heil, 15, were volunteering Friday afternoon in the gazebo at Franklin’s Applefest. The gazebo is centrally located and serves as the information booth.
There, visitors can get more than just questions answered, they get an apple to enjoy.
But if asked what kind of apple they are getting, there are a variety of answers given. Almost never a straight one.
“Free” is one of the festival organizer’s Jim Williams favorite answers.
“McIntosh,” longtime volunteer Matt Beith said. “How do you know?” asked the visitor. Caught, he laughs and admits “Oh I don’t really know. I just guessed.” “I think they are empire,” Kendall chimed in.
Whatever kind they are, the Applefest CORE committee passes out 100 bushels of them during the three-day weekend. That is roughly 12,500 apples and every single one of them gets a special hand polishing by one of the dozens of volunteers. “I bet I’ve polished 900 of them,” Kendall boasted. Though her estimate may have been a bit of a liberal exaggeration, Maureen James more conservatively estimated she polished about three to four bushels in her three-hour tour of volunteering Friday - that's about 500 give or take.
“They are not spit-polished,” assured James, who has a very methodical technique to make the round fruits shine. “Steady easy pressure, you don’t want to bruise them,” she said.
But if asked what kind of apple they are getting, there are a variety of answers given. Almost never a straight one.
“Free” is one of the festival organizer’s Jim Williams favorite answers.
“McIntosh,” longtime volunteer Matt Beith said. “How do you know?” asked the visitor. Caught, he laughs and admits “Oh I don’t really know. I just guessed.” “I think they are empire,” Kendall chimed in.
Whatever kind they are, the Applefest CORE committee passes out 100 bushels of them during the three-day weekend. That is roughly 12,500 apples and every single one of them gets a special hand polishing by one of the dozens of volunteers. “I bet I’ve polished 900 of them,” Kendall boasted. Though her estimate may have been a bit of a liberal exaggeration, Maureen James more conservatively estimated she polished about three to four bushels in her three-hour tour of volunteering Friday - that's about 500 give or take.
“They are not spit-polished,” assured James, who has a very methodical technique to make the round fruits shine. “Steady easy pressure, you don’t want to bruise them,” she said.
“Just keep the cloth moving,” said Kyle Peasley as he turned an apple with his right hand into a cloth on his left hand. “Last year I told people I was sent to polishing school to learn how - three circular motions - it has to be a perfect circle.”
Next to him, friend Justin Fleeger listened in. “I hate to say it, but I think mine are shinier than yours, Kyle.
This pair, joined by Matthew Kirkland had trouble keeping up with the demand on Saturday afternoon. “This is the biggest [turnout] I’ve seen,” Peasley said.
“You guys are great at shining apples,” a passerby shouted.
Next to him, friend Justin Fleeger listened in. “I hate to say it, but I think mine are shinier than yours, Kyle.
This pair, joined by Matthew Kirkland had trouble keeping up with the demand on Saturday afternoon. “This is the biggest [turnout] I’ve seen,” Peasley said.
“You guys are great at shining apples,” a passerby shouted.
Friday’s crowd wasn’t as demanding but just as appreciative of the free fruit, so Kendall and Heil were making their own fun of the work.
Heil didn’t know what her secret technique was, she just shrugged a shoulder and kept polishing. Kendall, on the other hand, held up her towel and said “this one is sewn together from unicorn hair.”
Beith said it’s a young person’s game polishing this many apples. “Man my carpel tunnel is acting up,” he joked. Kendall and Beith noted their hands were very waxy after a couple hours of polishing. “I’ll have to do the dishes when I get home to get the wax off,” Beith said.
Kendall didn’t chime in to agree about that idea.
Heil didn’t know what her secret technique was, she just shrugged a shoulder and kept polishing. Kendall, on the other hand, held up her towel and said “this one is sewn together from unicorn hair.”
Beith said it’s a young person’s game polishing this many apples. “Man my carpel tunnel is acting up,” he joked. Kendall and Beith noted their hands were very waxy after a couple hours of polishing. “I’ll have to do the dishes when I get home to get the wax off,” Beith said.
Kendall didn’t chime in to agree about that idea.
Mark your calendars for next year!
Applefest will be October 6, 7 and 8, 2023
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