The Right Apple To Eat

It's apple picking season here in Oregon.  The states of Washington and Oregon produce more apples and more varieties of apples than any other in the U.S. So I go wild this time of the year buying and using endless varieties of apples. Most places have the standard eight or so varieties for sale. But we have old ("heritage") kinds that are the passion of the Hood River apple growers, about 40 minutes from my home.  Not only do they grow the kinds of apples found 100's of years ago, they also experiment with new varieties.

It seems that the modern apples is one which has been bred to have along shelf life and to be durable in grocery stores. They taste ok, but the "heritage" or heirloom" and newer kinds of apples do have a wide range of flavors, as to tart, sweet,  and somewhere in the middle. When I go to a farmer's market I seem to always find a new kind of apple. I buy one, taste it and promptly forget the name the next time I want to eat one. But that's nice. In this age of homogenized foods it is pleasant to have so many varieties that one forgets which of them he or she wants. That may not be exciting, but it does make me more interested in apples, and that's a good thing.

When eating or cooking with apples the type used or eaten really does matter. We have one here that was locally invented called the Graven stein. The first time I tasted it I hated it, given it is very tart.  I like my eating apples to be  sweet. However, I have tasted the Graven stien in cooked apple desserts and find it very appealing when mixed with the right amount of sugar and spices.

When cooking you have to use the most appropriate apple to make the recipe work. One that is too sweet or tart, has too much juice inside or is too mealy can make the apple dish taste much less appealing or can ruin the consistency of the dish. For example, my favorite apple dessert to make an eat is an apple crostata.  Gala or Pink Lady apples make it work very well, but if I use a more watery or tart apple it hardly resembles the dish I want. 

Uh, I have motivated myself for apples, so I shall leave you now and head to my favorite apple seller and buy the apples I need to make  fresh applesauce. It's easy to do, and makes the dish taste far better than the jared apples sauces we like from our grocery stores. this one is amore adult version. If you're interested in trying to make applesauce yourself, the recipe is use is below.

Chunky Applesauce

Ingredients

• 4 Fuji or Braeburn apples
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Peel, quarter, core and coarsely dice the apples. You should have about 4 cups. Transfer to a saucepan, add the sugar, lemon juice, salt, and 1/4 cup water, and stir well. Place over medium high heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the apples are tender, about 30 minutes. If the apples begin to dry out before they are ready, add a little more water.
Uncover the pan and mash the apples lightly with a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes to evaporate some of the excess moisture. The applesauce should be thick. Remove from the heat and serve warm or chilled.