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“Why do we need so many kinds of apples? Because there are so many folks.” — American horticulturist Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858-1954)
Ms. Bailey wasn’t kidding about so many kinds of apples. In fact, there are 7,500 varieties of the pomaceous fruit of Malus domestica. That’s an apple tree, for the botanically challenged.
There aren’t thousands of apples available at our retail disposal, but there certainly are plenty. Some apples, like the tart Granny Smith, are always in the bins, thanks to imports and long growing seasons, but it is in the fall that we see other types. For many of the nation’s apple-growing states, fall is apple season. That’s why you’re seeing apples featured in magazines and TV cooking shows.
A survey this week at a large Publix turned up 10 apple varieties, and there will likely be more in the next month. Missing from the produce section were Braeburns, Pippins, Jonagolds, Pink Ladys and Ginger Golds, which will appear soon. In the United States, the second-largest apple grower in the world after China, 100 varieties are grown, but only half commercially.
Some apples in small production, such as the tiny but mighty white-fleshed Macoun of the Northeast, are rarely seen in Florida. Minnesota’s sweet Honeycrisp used to fall into that category, but they are now available at local grocery stores. The season is fleeting, so snap them up when you see them. By November they will be scarce.
The 2010 apple harvest is down about 4 percent from last year, according to the U.S. Apple Association, perhaps because of a spring frost that hurt the Michigan apple crop. Michigan is the nation’s third-largest apple-growing state. (Washington state is No. 1.) There are still enough U.S. apples so that each of us could eat 90 a year. Add to that imports from Chile, New Zealand and Canada, and doctor’s orders for an apple a day can easily be satisfied.
Which apple for what?
In the kitchen, apples are not interchangeable, which is why it’s good to know a little before you buy them.
For those noshers who like firm apples, a soft-flesh McIntosh will never do, and for those with a taste for tart, the only good apple is a Granny Smith. Some apples are sweet (Red Delicious), others are watery (Ginger Gold) and still others are best used in baked goods (Rome Beauty).
One way to get to know the attributes of different apples is to have a tasting. Buy a few varieties, wash, slice and dig in. Your particular likes or dislikes will come to bear. Know that most apples begin to brown when they are exposed to air. Lemon juice will arrest the deterioration for a time. Still, don’t cut into the apples until you are ready to eat.
Besides fresh apples, cooks take advantage of the fruit’s flavor by using cider or juice in sauces, marinades and salad dressings, or applesauce in baked goods. The Comfort of Apples, a new cookbook by Philip and Lauren Rubin (Lyons Press, 2010), takes apples beyond the traditional crumbles and pies.
The Rubins’ Salmon Burgers With Apple Corn Slaw — use a Granny Smith — is an interesting combination. The apple cuts the richness of the salmon and provides the tart yin for the sweet corn’s yang.
And how about a scoop of apple ice cream with a slice of pound cake or sour cream coffee cake, all of it sprinkled with cinnamon? For this recipe, consider Red or Golden Delicious apples because they hold their shape when cooked. Each bite of ice cream should come with an icy chunk of apple.
Apples are amiable ingredients in many baked goods, including Apple Streusel Coffee Cake and Apple Carrot Muffins. Both are nice fall treats, with the coffee cake being a good offering for a Thanksgiving morning breakfast. Even though there is so much heavy eating on that holiday, people still need to start the day with something in their stomachs.
It’s the season to eat and cook with apples. Rejoice in the choices and try something new, or at least new to you.
http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/cooking/try-new-recipes-with-apple-varieties-that-are-plentiful-in-fall/1124591
