eG Cook-Off #67: Apples

[David Ross]

The Envy was brought over from New Zealand but we have only seen it in markets here for a few years.  It's takes years to cultivate a new or different variety from stock and then go through all the process, regulation and state laws to get a number as they say for the apple. It's medium size and a good texture, not mealy or mushy yet sweet.  I never ate many apples as an adult, but now, at age 60 and finding the Envy, I eat them regularly!

[Toliver]

1 hour ago, David Ross said:

The Envy was brought over from New Zealand but we have only seen it in markets here for a few years.  It's takes years to cultivate a new or different variety from stock and then go through all the process, regulation and state laws to get a number as they say for the apple. It's medium size and a good texture, not mealy or mushy yet sweet.  I never ate many apples as an adult, but now, at age 60 and finding the Envy, I eat them regularly!

@andiesenji also recommended the Envy in another eG discussion. I was able to find them in a local grocery store and was impressed with them. They are quite crisp and the flavor is wonderful.

[BeeZee]

14 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I'd also like to try Rave sometime.  I agree with @Smithy that Honeycrisp is overrated.  My favorite varieties are Pink Lady and Granny Smith.  And Macoun if I can get it off the tree.  Macoun is mealy and vile if it is a day too old.

 

I like Macoun for making baked apples - just cut into chunky slices and into a pyrex with cinnamon and a tiny bit of honey, baked with foil on top until slightly tender. I like Fuji for eating apples.

[kayb]

Anyone a connoisseur of apple butter? I have what I believe to be one of the best apple butter recipes EVER. If anyone wants, I'll share it.

 

[David Ross]

12 hours ago, kayb said:

Anyone a connoisseur of apple butter? I have what I believe to be one of the best apple butter recipes EVER. If anyone wants, I'll share it.

 

Yes actually I'd love to have it.  I've never made apple butter and it will be something new to try this season.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Yesterday at work in the library I came upon a book whose cover featured making apple butter.  Unfortunately my youth featured too much apple butter and so I did not note the details.  For the benefit of @Anna N apple butter is a traditional accompaniment of scrapple.

 

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

For the benefit of @Anna N apple butter is a traditional accompaniment of scrapple.

Thank you so much for the edification. I have had apple butter once and scrapple once.  I hope to never repeat either experience.

[Darienne]

11 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Thank you so much for the edification. I have had apple butter once and scrapple once.  I hope to never repeat either experience.

Apple butter I like.  Scrapple is grey and square and I would rather go very hungry before I eat that stuff again.  

[kayb]

8 hours ago, David Ross said:

Yes actually I'd love to have it.  I've never made apple butter and it will be something new to try this season.

 

Here you go:

 

• 5 pounds tart apples of your choice (Gala, Fuji or Arkansas Black are good choices; Granny Smith would also work, though they’re more tart than the first three)
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

Cut the apples in quarters. Don’t peel or core them; a lot of natural pectin, the material that thickens jams and jellies, resides there, and you want it. We’ll deal with peels and seeds later. Pile them into the Instant Pot, or into a pressure cooker or a Dutch oven, and add two cups of sugar. If you’re using an IP or other pressure-cooker vessel, or even a slow-cooker, add the listed amount of vinegar and water; if a Dutch oven, go up to about 1/2 cup each.

In the IP, cook the apples on “steam” for 20 minutes, with a natural steam release.This will be enough to completely cook the apples to the point they’re soft, brown, and start to disintegrate. On the stovetop, bring to a boil over medium high heat, then quickly lower to medium low and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes to an hour, until apples reach the same stage.

Using a food mill with its medium plate, or a chinois, or in a pinch a colander, press the pulp into a Dutch oven. Add the remaining sugar and spices; simmer for an hour or so over very low heat, until the apple puree thickens and darkens more.

I’m not certain but what you could do this on the slow-cook function in the IP. I was otherwise using the IP, so I didn’t, plus I had significantly more puree than it would hold.

Process 15 minutes in a water-bath canner, or freeze in pint containers. Keeps 2-3 weeks, opened, in the fridge.

 

This is from the most popular post ever in my blog, with more than 5,000 views. I might note nothing else even comes close.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Last night I may have misspoken.  About the apple butter book that is.  Or I may really have seen an apple butter book.

 

But today I spied the newsletter of Rockingham (Washington's residence when he lived in Rocky Hill).  This fall there will be a demonstration of traditional apple butter making.  You know, caldron over an outdoor hearth and all of that.

 

Visitors are invited to help stir.

 

[David Ross]

This is the perfect time of year to revisit our Apple Cook-Off.  What apple dishes are you making right now? 

[ElsieD]

I made a cider braised pork loin the other day using apple cider, apple cider vinegar, apples and included the following spices:  star anise, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and bay leaf.  It was good, but the next time I would make it with pork butt as I find loin can tend to be a bit dry.

[David Ross]

This year I'm doing my annual Apple Tarte Tatin.  In fact it's in the oven right now.  But I'm also bringing out two recipes I forgot about that I found in my archives today.  An easy Apple Strudel and an Apple Tart.  The base of the tart is a cheddar custard and I put ground toasted hazelnuts in the crust.

[kayb]

I have an apple tree in the back yard that had a bountiful crop this year. Not sure the variety, but a tart green apple. I've cooked a lot of apple crisps and just plain old apples fried in butter and finished with a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon. Still a few out there I should bring in. And I gave apples to everyone I knew.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Not cooked, if it counts, but tonight's dinner here is Honeycrisp.  Much of the year Honeycrisp apples are rather sad at best, but last week and this week they have been most beautiful.

 

[David Ross]

I had two apples for dinner! Also uncooked. An extra Golden Delicious from the batch I bought for making the Tarte Tatin and my new favorite variety, the Envy. I haven't cooked with the Envy but it is a bit soft so don't know how it would do. Probably in a recipe like applesauce or compote. But it is not too sweet and good as an eating apple.

[Darienne]

We are 'blessed"(?) once again with a surfeit of apples on our Mac and more than we expected on the Northern Spy.  Both trees are in our designated back yard.  We have at least another 20 apple trees on our 100 acres.  Some you wouldn't want to eat.  Some are delicious.  They come from the other farmhouse on the second of what was originally two 50-acre parcels.   

 

OK.  So we've given away tons of them.  Made apple sauce (Arey's Mother's friend's cake to come), apple juice, apple leather, dried apple slices...oh let this be over...but it ain't.  

 

Just found a recipe for Apple Chips and that's next.  All the problems of Apple Leather and Dried Apple Slices gone in the blink of an eye.   

 

Let the making of the chips begin.  

 

(No, I don't like making pies.  I'm not adept at pastry.)

[ElsieD]

We have the annual family bocce tournament today in Mayberly.  A SIL always brings me apples from her trees.  No one knows what kind they are, the trees are very old.  I make apple butter and applesauce for one if my sisters and me.  Great stuff.

 

Edited to add:  I make lousy pastry too so I avoid making it.

Edited October 19, 2019 by ElsieD (log)

[Darienne]

44 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

We have the annual family bocce tournament today in Mayberly.  A SIL always brings me apples from her trees.  No one knows what kind they are, the trees are very old.  I make apple butter and applesauce for one if my sisters and me.  Great stuff.

 

Edited to add:  I make lousy pastry too so I avoid making it.

 

Now multiply that amount by a gazillion and you have it!  We have two large freezers plus two fridge freezers.  The second freezer is nominally for the dogs (100 pounds each and they eat real food) and a second fridge because our son lived with us for a few years.  And everything is full, full, full.  I have threatened dire consequences if Ed brings home on more 'good buy'.  Like the huge Christmas turkey which is in there, taking up much room...etc...etc.... (just ranting....)

[ElsieD]

Apple crumble pie.  I don't know what kind of apple they are, they came from my SIL's trees and the trees are very old.  They are a fairly tart apple, almost pure white on the inside.  I will make applesauce with the rest as I like to use that in place of oil when I make muffins.

[Kerry Beal]

4 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Apple crumble pie.  I don't know what kind of apple they are, they came from my SIL's trees and the trees are very old.  They are a fairly tart apple, almost pure white on the inside.  I will make applesauce with the rest as I like to use that in place of oil when I make muffins.

Cortland perhaps?

 

[heidih]

4 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Apple crumble pie.  I don't know what kind of apple they are, they came from my SIL's trees and the trees are very old.  They are a fairly tart apple, almost pure white on the inside.  I will make applesauce with the rest as I like to use that in place of oil when I make muffins.

 

Not a pie girl - but that speaks to me in a good way

[chromedome]

10 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Cortland perhaps?

 

That was my first thought as well, as they're very white on the interior and make a good pie. They're my go-to, if I'm making a pie from a single variety (I often combine them for broader flavor). It's hard to tell by appearance, because Cortlands from some trees are all red, like the ones in the image, but more often they're streaked with green or half-and-half. I've been to the U-pick twice in the past few weeks, so this is all fresh in my head.

 

On yesterday's trip I also got the season's last bag of Dudleys from one grower. They're a 19th-century variety that's popular in Maine and parts of NB, but which I had not previously seen. Looking forward to trying those.

 

In recent weeks I've made dehydrated rings for the grandkids, replenished my store of applesauce, made a couple of apple cakes to share with the neighbours, apple crisp at my GF's request and an apple pie for (Canadian) Thanksgiving. None of them unusual or notable in any way, and no photos to show (I really need to start using my actual camera one day...).

[David Ross]

Hard to believe we are the nation's top apple producers here in Washington, but until this year we hadn't cultivated an apple in the state.  Washington State University created the "Cosmic Crisp" which is just now in markets.  From what I've read it takes years to cultivate a new apple so I'm sure they've been at it for a while.  They will own exclusive rights to sell the apple for 10 years.  I haven't seen it yet, but it's described as a cross between the Enterprise and the Honeycrisp.  They say that it has a long shelf life and does well stored in the fridge. It's best for eating they say with a good balance of sweet and tart and very crisp.  I'll try to buy some when it shows up locally.  It's already in markets in the Seattle and Yakima areas.

[blue_dolphin]

There was an article on the Cosmic Crisp in the LATimes the other day: Move over, Honeycrisp: New Cosmic Crisp apple to debut at grocery stores

It noted:

Quote

Already, growers have planted 12 million Cosmic Crisp apple trees, a sign of confidence in the new variety. Although only 450,000 40-pound boxes will be available for sale this year, that will jump to more than 2 million boxes in 2020 and more than 21 million by 2026.

...

The trees take three years to produce a crop, said Kathryn Grandy, a member of the team marketing the apple.

“This will be the largest launch of a single variety ever, globally,” she said, and it’s backed by a $10.5-million marketing budget.

 

I'll keep an eye out to see if any of them make their way down here.  

Meanwhile, I'm still eating some of the Macs I bought when I was back in northern NY a few weeks ago.  I can buy Macs at the local farmers market here in So Cal but they're never as good as the ones from home!