It is September…and that means apple time has begun here in the Midwest. I was going to do a video of this, but my wise hubby suggested doing a blog post so I could post the photos and info for easy future reference. Of course, you may know of/have heard of other uses for a particular apple…please share your comments with us as we are always interested in learning something new.
Here are a couple of tips to get the most out of your apples:
1. Baby your apples…if they get dropped or bumped around they bruise and bruised apples taste like spoiled applesauce & they aren’t pretty when you peel them. You usually won’t notice the bruise until the next day. And, when in the grocery store, treat all apples, even the ones you aren’t buying, like your own—don’t let them fall on the floor.
2. Store them in the refrigerator…leave them in the plastic bag or paper bag you brought them home in and keep them in the crisper drawer. If you leave them out on the counter, they will look pretty & probably even make your kitchen smell nice, but they will deteriorate in quality much faster than in the fridge.
3. Try new varieties…growing up, I think the only variety I ever tried was Red Delicious. I didn’t really care for that variety because the skin on the Red Delicious is considerably thicker than most other varieties. My favorites: Braeburn, Gala, Empire, & Fuji.
What a lovely array of colors…how pretty is that?!
FUJI—Flavor: sweet, firm flesh Use: good lunchbox apple, salads, cooking/baking Season: Sept/all year Origin: Japan, after Mt. Fuji, now grown in U.S.
Fun Fact: cross between: Ralls Janet & Red Delicious
GRANNY SMITH—Flavor: tart Use: baking (some people enjoy eating out of hand) Season: August/year round Origin: Australia, now U. S. as well
RED DELICIOUS—Flavor: sweet Use: good lunchbox apple Season: Sept/year round Origin: Iowa/ Western: knobby “feet” & Eastern: round on the bottom
PINK LADY—Flavor: sweet-tart Use: lunchbox, baking Season: mid-October Origin: New Zealand, now U.S. Fun Fact: cross of Golden Delicious & Lady Williams
BRAEBURN—Flavor: spicy-sweet, crisp, juicy Use: all-purpose/eating, baking, etc. Season: October-July Origin: New Zealand, now in U.S.
Fun Fact: cross of Lady Hamilton & Granny Smith
GALA—Flavor: sweet, crisp, juicy Use: good lunchbox apple Season: mid-July Origin: New Zealand, now in U.S. Fun Fact: peel has a distinctive red/yellow color
I also wanted to comment on 2 apples that I don’t have pictures of, as they are most often found at apple orchards. But, they are just too good not to mention.
CORTLAND—Flavor: sweet, hint of tart Use: all-purpose, especially baking, salads—resists browning Season: Sept-July Origin: New York
Fun Fact: developed in the Agricultural Experimentation Station in NY Cross between: McIntosh & Ben Davis
EMPIRE—Flavor: sweet-tart, crisp Use: all-purpose, especially good lunchbox apple Season: Sept.-July Origin: NY, Empire State
My sister-in-law told me about Empire apples and I realized I had never heard of them…boy, am I glad she let me know what I was missing out on. Their flavor makes you think “THIS is what an apple should taste like”—it is sweet with a crisp, firm flesh, thin-skinned, and just plain delicious. I have since seen them in stores, but not very often. So, if you have the opportunity, go to an apple orchard in your area and seek out these 2 treasures. An apple pie or apple crisp made with Cortland apples may just be the best you’ve EVER made. 
One comment on apple orchards…go check one out, at least once. Many of the orchards also sell pumpkins and have attractions like corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and country stores. Picking apples is a great family activity and will form lovely memories for years to come.
Kuiper’s Family Farm www.kuipersfamilyfarm.com is an example of a wonderful orchard/farm in Maple Park, IL.
Beginning Sept. 18, they have U-Pick apples Sat/Sun ONLY & bagged apples available week-long in the country store, corn maze, horse-drawn hay rides, pony rides, pumpkin patch, Christmas trees, a tire mountain to climb, and a country store with lots of fun items and the BEST apple cider donuts I have tasted!
Our local library has bookmarks at the information desk that have a box for Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec that allow you to get one free donut for each month—see if your library supplies them. Visit the website for admission prices, details and coupons to use at the farm.
Enjoy this glorious Fall season & try a new apple!
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