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Ingredient of the Week: Apples!!
Posted February 17, 2024 by Honeycreeper in Gardening

Surprise! I know I said I would pick the one that had the most upvotes, but I decided that of the three that were suggested, I decided to pick apples!

This week’s ingredient of the week is then apples! I also apologize in advance, this is a very long write up 😅.

Apples!

We all know them, we all love them. They’re the quintessential American fruit. The humble apple has become so steeped in American tradition that it’s a staple of every kitchen table come Fall. What would thanksgiving dinner be if not topped off with a homemade apple pie? Our grandmothers would tell stories of apple picking, orchards would host children’s field trips to show how they make ciders, and in older days, Halloween would be filled with caramel apples being handed out to trick-or-treaters. But did you know out of the 7,500 (some even say 30,000!!!) apple varieties worldwide, the United States only commercially produces around 30 varieties? Most of those uncommericialized apples are heritage apples, apples that are culturally or historically significant to a specific country. Or in more romantic terms, “apples that are lost to time as trends of flavor and beauty have faded”.

Previously shared into the sub, by /u/stern-as-steel, Tom Brown’s quest to find Appalachia’s {and beyond} lost heritage apple varieties really shows how much more diversity American grocery stores could be selling. Or for hobby growers looking to help cultivate a rare apple variety. And more lost apple varieties could still be out there! Tom Brown’s website of all the heritage apples he’s found so far and how to get seeds can be found here!

The amazing part of the story of the apple is, is that since I mentioned those varieties are a worldwide count, that means that each country in the world that cultivates apples also may have (or does have) their own heritage apples. All very different from each other, each with their own story of how they came to be (some not so nice if we are talking about America of course 😅 you know, slavery and colonization. A lot of apples came into being due to settlers crossbreeding apples, and we all know that story. Even reading what Tom Brown wrote on his website reveals that some if not most of these heritage apples had their colonizer birth romanticized. If you are a woman of color, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!)

With that disclaimer aside, I do think heritage apples have the right to be saved, for two big reasons:

  1. Different apple varieties offer bringing new genetics into a continuously narrowing monoculturized pool, due to commercialization, which helps promote disease resistance,
  2. And: older apple varieties preserve a wider variety of flavors that may suit a homestead lifestyle and palette.

In other words, heritage apples may be easier to grow in specific climates of the United States where they were originally crossbred. What does that mean? That means you get a hardy apple tree that doesn’t mind zone 5-7 winters! As an example of course! With that I must mention that a lot of American apple varieties came from crossbreeding three native species of crab apple, which I think deserve their own post in the future! 😉 This makes a lot of sense why apples can grow very well here in the United States. That and along with the fact that the other half of that crossbreed came from an asiatic wild apple, brought over to Europe by the Romans and then bred further there before being brought to America by English settlers hundreds of years later.

New apple varieties are also being bred all the time. I believe a user in this sub had mentioned that she grows dwarf apple trees in a pot! Imagine that! Thanks for telling me about your dwarf column apple trees, /u/Caerulea!

Growing apple trees for your homestead depends on what variety it is and what climate you happen to be in. Which variety you grow also depends on when you want to harvest the apple. The typical time of the season one would expect apples is during the Fall season, and in different points of that season, but with transportation and leaps and bounds in horticultural science, you can buy apples from the Pacific Northwest, California, or even other countries like New Zealand whenever you’d like! And why is this so if apples only fruit in the months of August to November (at least in the US, not counting out of country)? This NPR article goes more in depth of the science behind Controlled Atmosphere Storage. This means that the previous thought of “oh apples can be purchased all year round because they are grown in different places and some varieties can fruit any time of the year” isn’t true! (Or all true.) Yes even I had that previous thinking before I started typing up this article. No wonder the apples purchased in the Fall and Winter season just taste more full bodied (though I agree, they taste like they’ve just been picked anyway, no matter what time of the year, so clearly I’ve been fooled! 😆 Fresh is still fresh thanks to how they store picked apples! Science is amazing!) Sadly, Controlled Atmosphere Storage is another reason why the cultivar number in grocery stores has shrunk. Not many apple varieties can withstand the storage without losing their flavor, and thus their quality.

So, how in the heck do you grow an apple tree? What the heck is grafting? How do you prune it? Which apple variety is best for me? The trickiest question that comes from all of these other ones is “can I grow an apple tree straight from a seed from a store bought apple?” The short answer is “yes”, but the apple won’t grow true from seed. This is where grafting comes into play. Seedling apple trees don’t fruit apples that taste like that exact same apple because farmers do a technique called “grafting”. So instead of doing things the old fashioned way, as one may do with a heritage variety of just planting the seed in the ground and grow an apple tree, grafting essentially clones the exact variety down to the specific apple. This technique is now the standard for growing apples, as it also promotes genetic diversity, cold temperature hardiness, and disease resistance, but more in a speed-run sort of way. You can read more about the art of grafting and how you can do so by this guide from The Orchard People here! The fun part about grafting is that you can do it with more than just apples 😉. Any fruiting tree that has multiple family members or varieties can be grafted together, sometimes forming Frankenstein-ish creations.

Apples despite the many ways that they can be grown, still have a set list of favored conditions that they need to grow. From Grow Great Fruit, is this in depth article on how to grow apple trees the organic way. Here they mention important growing conditions for apple trees, some common apple varieties, the benefit of polyculture, and how to pick a good rootstock. Besides sun and soil, apple trees have a specific need for the “chill factor”, or the amount of hours an apple tree needs to be exposed to cool temperatures in order to promote flower budding in the spring. As apple trees are a deciduous species, they depend on marking their “internal clock” so to speak with external cues to know when it’s time to start producing flowers.

Now it’s time for the REAL fun part. Let’s talk about apple uses!

Apples aren’t just for eating. They’re also for baking, for cider, for juice, and for sauces! Some apples can even be used in wine production! And of course there’s also apple cider vinegar! The interesting part here is that there are different varieties that can be used for specific applications. I’m gonna go through a brief run down as I know I’m yammering here with this write-up 😅.

For eating:

-A common apple variety found in stores is the Fuji apple. This favorite of mine is sweet, but not too sweet with a hint of berry flavor.

-Another good snacking apple is the Pink Lady. These crisp apples have a tart taste to their sweetness, but not strong like a Granny Smith. They’re also good for baking.

For sauces:

-Golden delicious apples are good for this, but I’m a rebel, and I use them in other applications.

For baking:

-Ever had a baked apple? And no I’m not just saying for apple pie! Roma apples are large dense apples with a classic apple flavor. They’re perfect for hollowing out and stuffing them with whatever you’d like and then putting them in the oven. (Ask me about baked apple fixings in the comments if you wish to hear more!)

-Granny Smith apples and golden delicious make for an amazing apple pie! Or a scone. Or a cake! Granny Smiths are usually the first apple that comes to mind when one says baking!

-Honeycrisp are also the superb baking apple.

For Ciders:

-Anything goes! Look below in the “For further reading” section to read more about good cider apples. They aren’t ones I’ve seen in stores!

Here’s some more recipe ideas:

-use a more balanced flavored apple in stews and sauces to bring out the flavor of chicken, pork, or Turkey

-make apple butter and spread it on toast or use it as an ingredient in other baked goods!

-BONUS IDEA: have a smoker? Have apple wood? Apple wood smoke some meats, your own salts, bacon, or even salmon!

-Apple cake! Apple pie! Crostatas, hand pies, scones, cupcakes, puff pastries like a galette, apple turnovers, apple cider donuts, glazed apple fritters, the possibilities are endless!

-Get real fancy by using it as an ingredient in elite cocktails (psst, here’s a fun hint for ya, take apple cider, heat it up, then add Amaretto to it. Keeps you warmer than a hot pack in your mittens 😉 my secret is out of the bag!)

-make jellies, jams, and preserves

-for the advanced brewer, make your own apple cider, apple wine (perfected by the Germans), or kombucha!

Direct recipes:

-From my secret stash, Apfelküchlein!(Literally translates to “little apple cake”) I have here the translated German recipe below: “4 servings

15 minutes of preparation

3-4 apples (slices, [core and peel] removed) [The apple slices are cut to look like whole rings]

(1)DOUGH

2 eggs

150g flour 630 [all-purpose flour can work here]

100ml milk

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of baking powder

cinnamon and sugar

PREPARATION

Mix all ingredients under (1) well together.

Dip the apple slices into the batter.

Heat a pan with some oil/butter.

Now put the apple slices in and fry them on both sides for about 1 minute.

Toss the still warm apple slices in cinnamon and sugar.

TIP

You can fry/fry the apple slices in a lot of oil, then the rings can be a little thicker.

If you want to use less oil, like me, then cut the rings a little finer.”

-Baked apple cider donuts with a maple cinnamon glaze

-Also from my stash: Apple Cider cookies!

-Goat Cheese, fig, and green apple grilled cheese- oh bellisima! There’s many different versions of sandwich and grilled cheese that you can use apple in, but I’m a FIEND for anything goat cheese. It’s a decadent match made in heaven. Treat yourself! You also could have it be Brie, Honey, Proscuitto, and Apple and grill it in the same way.

-Chicken, Apple, Butternut squash stew!

-Apple Pie cinnamon cocktail -uses fireball whiskey

-Spiced Apple Spritz cocktail -uses Jamaican rum

-Apple Gin Fizz

-Italian apple cake (uses olive oil!)

-Apple Pie cheesecake

-Roast leg of lamb with apples and fennel

-Chicken Apple Sausage

Other ingredients/flavors apple works well with:

-cabbage

-endive

-pork, chicken, beef, lamb, sausages

-cardamom

-ginger

-vodka, gin, and sparkling bitters

-rosemary

-kale

-pecans, walnuts, almonds

-cinnamon and other warming spices

-raisins

-oats

For further reading:

-Food and Wine’s The Ultimate Apple Guide, from Heirlooms to Hybrids, discusses 85 Varieties of apples and their applications, including ciders

-From Wine Maker Magazine- How to ferment and brew hard apple ciders and apple wine- you can also follow the same steps for regular non-alcoholic cider by not fermenting it

-Epic Gardening article highlighting 73 heirloom apple varieties and how to get a hold of them to taste for yourself!

-University of Minnesota- Extension article about growing apples in the garden-very in depth with more tips and knowledge, with some info specific to Minnesota, but most of it is general information, including how to pick good rootstock

-Research Article- Evaluation of Apple Pomace {apple pomace is the by-product of cider making. Think of it as like pulp from oranges} Flour Obtained Industrially by Dehydration as a Source of Biomolecules with Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Antiobesity Effects (2020)

Happy Harvest!

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