Thursday, September 20, 2012

Got Apples...?

One of the wonderful things that Mother Nature provides for our use is, you guessed it...apples!

What a comfortable fruit! Good right off the tree, good for storing, and absolutely wonderful for cooking! In fact, I'm having some apple jelly on toast for dessert tonight!

From the pages of the Farmer's Almanac, here is some interesting facts about apples!

Autumn Is for Apples

In Old England, this month was called Haervest-monath (Harvest Month). We like to think of it as the month of homegrown apples.

Almost any apple can be enjoyed when eaten fresh. However, not all apples are ideal for the kitchen. For example, the popular McIntosh might be great for eating off the tree, but its flesh is too tender to hold up to baking in a pie. However, the Cortland apple is a bit firmer than the Mac, so it’s a good choice for pies as well as sauces and salads.

Note: When it comes to cooking with apples, it may be helpful to know the following:

1 pound of apples = 2 large, 3 medium, or 4 to 5 small apples

1 pound of apples = 3 cups peeled and sliced apples

Below is a list with some of the best baking and cooking apples in North America.

NAME

Braeburn
Sauce...Tart, sweet, aromatic...tall shape, bright color

Cortland
Pies, Sauces, Fruit Salad...Tart, crisp...larger than 'McIntosh'

Fuji
Baking...Sweet and juicy, firm... red skin

Gala
Dried, Cider...Mild, sweet, juicy, crisp...yellow-orange skin with red striping (resembles a peach)

Granny Smith
Baking...Moderately sweet, crisp flesh...green skin

Jonagold
Pie, Sauce...Tangy-sweet...Yellow top, red bottom

Jonathan
Sauce...Tart flesh, crisp, juicy...bright red on yellow skin

McIntosh
Sauce...Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh...red skin

Newtown Pippin
Pie, Sauce, Cider...Sweet-tart flesh, crisp...greenish-yellow skin

R.I. Greening

Pie...Very tart, distinctively flavored...grass-green skin, tending toward yellow/orange

Rome Beauty
Baking, Cider...Mildly tart, crisp...greenish-white flesh, thick skin

Winesap
Sauce, Pie, Cider...Very juicy, sweet-sour flavor, winey, aromatic...sturdy, red skin


No matter how you cook them, I love me some good ol' apple pie, apple fritters, apple cake, apple juice, apple dumplings, apple...well, you get the picture!

How about coffee on the patio this morning...with some biscuits and apple jelly?

11 comments:

  1. I love the apples this time of year. The Mac isn't all the interesting to me, too bland. A nice big tart Cort on the other hand, is darn good eating.

    A friend of mine makes his own apple cider and we all pitch in to help. We turn it into a party with music, food, and plenty of fresh apple cider.

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  2. what.....red delicious doesn't even get a mention?

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  3. The red delicious has been turned into a supermarket apple and ruined over the years. If you can get some from the old stock they are good but even then not as good as the golden delicious. Be

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  4. The Mac has changed with a tougher skin and less flavor. One of my favorites was the 20 ounce which came from upstate NY. Yup, 20 ounces in one apple. Much like the winesap in flavor and texture. Can't get 'em here only there. You could make a pie with one apple. I've been dehydrating apples for the winter. Yum.

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  5. Couldn't live without apples!
    Love to make apple sauce, pies, tarts
    and baked.
    Nothing in the world like apple fritters on a chilly fall morning!

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  6. One of my daily lunch items is an apple everyday, I don't get tired of them at all. I'm partial to Gala myself.

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  7. I eat an apple every day for lunch and have since I can remember (which is quite a few years by now). An apple a day keeps the doctor away my mother used to say. I usually eat Fuji or Gala since I can't get any fresh Red Delicious around here. I love apple pie with ice cream on it and would die for an apple fritter.

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  8. Bubba -
    Apple is, unfortunatley, one of my many food allergies, but I can make some pretty good imitation apple butter from pears! Remember the apple butter fried pies every Sunday evening after church? One more of those good family memories that Mom made for us - how 'bout some of those next time I'm over? I'll risk a headache for that!

    Big hugs -

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  9. Hey Sixbears...
    Now that sounds like a good, old fashioned harvest party to me! Great way to celebrate with friends, I think!

    I appreciate you coming by today!


    Hey Hunk...
    Sorry, but the Red Delicious wasn't on the list!

    Guess that's why there are so many different kinds...to satisfy each of us!

    Thanks for coming over today!


    Hey SunnyBrook...
    Funny how somethings can be "improved" to the point that they just don't taste right!

    Best if you can get them straight from the orchard owner!

    Thanks for dropping by today!


    Hey Momlady...
    Kinda wish I was a little closer to apple growing country.

    I really have been getting into eating a lot of the dried fruits as of late and I love them!

    Certainly can't hurt, I'm thinking!

    Many thanks for coming by today!


    Hey Phyllis...
    I have to agree with the apple fritters, but I like 'em anytime!

    Bring some to the patio next time, ya hear?

    Thanks for coming over this morning!


    Hey Anon 7:30...
    Probably good for ya as well! Like I said, certainly can't hurt!

    Thanks for the visit today!


    Hey Linda...
    Apple pie with ice cream! Breakfast of champions! Sounds good to me, that's for sure!

    Thanks for making me hungry again and for dropping in this morning!


    Hey Sis...
    Sure would be nice to have some of those old treats like we used to have!

    Guess those days are pretty much gone for good!

    Next time you are coming, I'll make some up! OK?

    Thanks for coming by today!

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  10. OK now I am drooling for all the things mentioned. I wonder if I can make the pickings at Wilcox when I get home. They also sell the pies ready to go, also pumkin.Cider by the half or whole gallon.

    Sorry I'm late the dreaded laundry day and one load didn't dry. I hate feeding quarters into those machines.

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  11. A timely post, HJ, especially since we harvested apples from our own trees this week, Granny Smith and delicious. However, they were not as plentiful as in previous years, still there will be enough for one of Grenville's apple pies this fall and maybe an apple cobbler...are you bringing the coffee?

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