|
|
|
There are hundreds and hundreds of varieties of fruit
available in the United States, either grown primarily in California, or
imported. To purchase hard-to-find citrus varieties, go to
Frieda's Produce,
owned by my friend, Karen Caplan. |
 QUESTION:
Ever been disappointed when you've cut into a tall
apple pie only to find that the apples have shrunk and left a big space
between the fruit and crust?
ANSWER:
YES! But, the type of apple used, precooking and
cooling the apples first solves this problem. (Try the
Ultimate Apple Pie Recipe.)
 For
pie baking, I like Golden Delicious apples, which are
tasty and juicy, but you can also experiment with other varieties.
Granny Smith, Newton
Pippin, Mutsu, Northern Spies and Gravenstein are all good choices because
these tart apples hold their shape well during baking. More acidic
apples like the Red Delicious, Macintosh, Rome Beauty, Macoun, and Jonathan,
break down a little faster when baked have a tendency to cook up mealy or
into a mushy applesauce, not good for pie baking. If using in a recipe,
sprinkle them with a little more sugar before serving to counter the
acidity, and reduce the cooking time slightly, but they will still break
down. |
THE MOST COMMON APPLE TYPES AND STORAGE:
 NEW!!
"Pink Lady
Apples" are a great new variety. Created less than a decade ago in
Australia, Pink Lady Apples are winning fans all over the world for their
remarkable sweet-tart taste and crunch. One of the best apples ever for
out-of-hand eating, the Pink Lady is also great as an ingredient in baking
because it keeps its shape and texture.
|
The old saying about "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"
has some truth to it; an apple gives you about 10 percent of your daily
requirement for vitamin C and a little bit of calcium. Unpeeled apples are high
in fiber, low in calories, and delicious - a healthy dessert choice.
Grocery stores used to stock just a few apple varieties, but
in recent years, tasty hybrids and imports have invaded the apple aisle.
Apple preparation
|
The International Apple Institute offers
these apple variety suggestions: |
| Apple
Variety |
Appearance |
Taste |
Best
Uses |
Availability |
|
Akane |
bright red |
crispy, juicy,
sweet-tart |
all-purpose |
late Aug.-Sept.,
primarily in Northwest |
|
Cortland |
red w/green highlights |
tart, tender |
snack, salad, baking |
fall to spring, East to
Midwest |
|
Crispin/ Mutsu |
yellow-green |
sweet, crisp |
all purpose |
year-round, primarily
in the East |
|
Criterion |
yellow |
sweet, mild |
snack, salad |
Oct.-Dec. nationwide |
|
Elstar |
bright red, orange, and
yellow |
sweet-tart |
snack, salad, baking |
Oct.-Dec. nationwide |
|
Empire |
dark red w/red blush |
crispy, juicy, mildly
tart |
snack, salad |
fall to spring, East to
Midwest |
|
Gala |
orange-yellow |
sweet |
snacks, salads |
mid-Aug.-Dec.,
nationwide |
|
Gingergold |
yellow, smooth finish |
sweet, crisp |
all-purpose |
-late July to early
Sept. in Virginia |
|
Gravenstein |
red-striped |
moderately tart |
snacks, salad, baking |
-late summer, early
fall, West Coast |
|
Idared |
red |
mildly tart, firm,
juicy |
salads, baking, cooking |
-Sept. to early spring,
mainly East to Midwest |
|
Jerseymac |
bright red |
juicy, medium-firm |
all-purpose |
late summer to early
Sept. nationwide |
|
Jonagold |
bright red over gold |
sweet, tangy, juicy |
snacks, salads |
end Sept.-Oct.
nationwide |
|
Jonamac |
deep red |
tart |
snacks, cooking |
Sept., primarily
Northeast |
|
Jonathan |
light red w/yellow or
purple highlights |
rich, tartish |
all-purpose |
fall to spring, Midwest |
|
Lodi (old- time apple) |
yellowish-green |
tart |
all-purpose |
July to early Aug.
nationwide |
|
Macoun |
red-green |
crisp, semisweet |
snacks, salads,
applesauce |
Sept.-Nov. nationwide |
|
Newtown Pippin |
green |
mildly tart |
snacks, salads, cooking |
Sept.-Feb., mainly West
Coast |
|
Paulared |
mostly red with green
highlights |
mildly tart, firm |
snacks, salads, cooking |
early fall, East |
|
Quinte |
red |
medium tart to sweet |
snacks, salads |
late summer to early
Sept. nationwide |
|
Rome Beauty |
red w/smatter of green |
tartish to sweet |
cooking |
Oct.-July nationwide |
|
Spartan |
like McIntosh |
crispy, tartish,
aromatic |
best for snacks and
salads |
fall to winter,
Northeast |
|
Stayman |
purplish-red |
rich, mildly tart |
snacks, salads, cooking |
fall to spring, Midwest
and Southeast |
|
Twenty- ounce |
large, greenish yellow |
slightly tart, crisp |
cooking, baking |
Fall, Western New York |
|
Tydeman Early |
bright scarlet, fairly
large |
firm, mildly tart |
dessert |
summer nationwide |
|
Wealthy |
bright red |
slightly tart |
cooking, baking |
mid-Sept.-Nov.,
primarily in Northeast and Michigan |
|
Winesap |
deep purplish-red |
tangy, juicy, wine-like
flavor |
all-purpose |
Oct.-July nationwide |
|
OLD STANDBYS |
|
Golden Delicious |
yellow |
tangy, sweet, juicy |
all-purpose |
year-round nationwide |
|
Granny Smith |
green |
tart |
all purpose |
year-round nationwide |
|
McIntosh |
red and green |
tart, tender, juicy |
snacks, salads |
Sept. through spring,
East to Midwest |
|
Red Delicious |
striped to solid red |
rich, sweet, mellow |
snacks, salads |
late summer to early
Sept. |
|
Q:
How do you store apples?:
A:
Store only fruit that is
hard, mature and in perfect condition. Apples picked when they are
too green are susceptible to storage problems. Apples picked beyond
maturity over-ripen quickly.
For most varieties of apples, the optimum storage
temperature is 30 to 32 degrees. Fahrenheit with a 90% relative
humidity. Higher storage temperatures reduce the storage life
considerably, and apples ripen twice as fast at 40 degrees
Fahrenheit as at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid storing apples too
long and regularly check for signs of spoilage. Mustiness will
spread to healthy apples.
Refrigerated apples last up to 10
times longer than those left at room temperature.
The preferred inside temperature for a refrigerator
is somewhere between 35 and 38 degrees F.
Storage duration depends on the variety.
As a general rule,
later-maturing varieties store better. Red Delicious, Northern Spy,
Winesap and Rome Beauties are among the best and can be stored up to
five months under the right conditions.
Stow apples in the
refrigerator in a cardboard box with holes or in a well-ventilated
container away from other produce.
But, apples emit ethylene, a naturally occurring gas
that speeds ripening. To prevent apples from speeding up the
ripening process of other items in your produce drawer, store them
in a plastic bag.
For large amounts of apples wrap each one individually in
black-and-white newspaper to prevent one bad apple from spoiling the
whole bunch. Place them in a box in a dark, cool area.
Never store apples near
potatoes. As potatoes age, they let off a gas that will compromise
the fruit. |
|
|
QUESTION:
Can I freeze my apples?
ANSWER:
YES! For freezing, select full-flavored apples
that are crisp and firm, not mealy in texture. Wash, peel, and core. Slice
the medium apples into twelfths, the large ones into sixteenths. Syrup pack
is preferred for apples to be used for uncooked desserts or fruit cocktail.
A sugar or dry pack is good for pie making.
For a syrup pack: Use a chilled
40-percent syrup. Dissolve 2 3/4 cups of sugar in 4 cups of lukewarm water,
mixing until the solution is clear. Chill.
To prevent browning, add 1/2 teaspoon
of ascorbic acid to each quart of syrup. Slice the apples into the syrup in
a container starting with a 1/2 cup of syrup for each pint of apples. Fill
pint- or quart-size freezer bags to a level of 3 to 4 inches from the tops,
add the syrup if needed to cover the apples, squeeze out the air, seal and
label.
For a sugar pack: To prevent darkening,
dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid in 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle
over the fruit. Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 quart (1 1/4 pounds) of fruit.
Fill freezer bags to a level of 3 to 4 inches from the tops, squeeze out the
air, seal and label.
For a dry/tray pack: Follow the
directions for a sugar pack, omitting the sugar. Treated apple slices also
can be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as
they are frozen.
You also can
make applesauce and freeze in freezer containers. |
Source: International Apple Institute.
|
| |
