ALL ABOUT APPLES

This information first appeared in my book
EAT FRESH, STAY HEALTHY. For in depth articles about fruits and vegetables, with recipes, you can subscribe to my free monthly newsletter.

With recipes for
Pork Medallions with Apples and Cider
Sixes Wild Baked Apples
Madge's Apple Pie
Turkey Waldorf With Fennel

Some theologians believe apples were the forbidden fruit that got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden. In Greek mythology, procuring the golden apples of Hesperides was one of Hercules’12 labors, but probably not as messy another of his tasks—cleaning out the stables of Augeas.

Apples, the No. 2 consumed fruit in the United States after bananas, seem like a staid and steady fruit, as traditional and dependable as Grandma’s apple pie. But changes are afoot in the apple business. Not too long ago, the only apples people bought were Washington State Red and Golden Delicious because of their cosmetic appeal.

But new varieties are making major inroads in the apple market. For example, Fuji and Gala apples, which were not even ranked in popularity in 1992, are now two of the top selling apples in the United States, ranked sixth and eighth respectively. Both have an unbeatable combination of sweetness and crisp flavor. As a matter of fact, Fuji apple may be the No. 1 seller in the United States by the end of the decade. And just as well. Red Delicious apples are kind of boring.

HISTORY

Scientific evidence in the form of fossils puts apple gathering and storage as far back as 5,000 years. Greeks cultivated apples as early as the fourth century BC Romans brought apples to Britain and British colonists introduced them to America with the first settlements in the New World.

Most varieties grown in the United States today originated from those trees planted in the early Massachusetts and Virginia colonies. And as fairy taleish as it sounds, the person largely responsible for this is one John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed.

"Johnny Appleseed did more, in his own eccentric way, than anyone else to make most of America apple country," says Evan Jones in "American Food, The Gastronomic Story" (Vintage Books, 1981). In one of those rare meshes of truth and legend, Chapman, who owned a nursery in Indiana, did indeed spread apple seeds (often retrieved from cider mills) from the Alleghenies to the Mississippi, and occasionally as far west as the Oregon trail, helped along by explorers, pioneers and Indians.

WHERE GROWN

Apples, a member of the rose family, are grown throughout the world in temperate climates with the commercial crops of the United States concentrated in the northern states of Washington - far and away the nation’s biggest producer - Michigan, and New York. California and Pennsylvania round out the top 5. The trees require a change of climate including cold weather to trigger flowering and production cycles.

VARIETIES

Fifteen varieties accounted for over 90% of the 1996 domestic production. According to the U.S. Apple Association, these varieties are, in descending order of popularity, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Rome, Fuji, McIntosh, Gala, Jonathan, Empire, York, Idared, Newton Pippin, Cortland, Rhode Island Greening and Northern Spy.

The Fuji, the most widely planted apple variety worldwide, was developed in the early 1960s by crossing the Japanese Mutsu with a California Winesap in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The result is a yellow-green to blush skin apple with a perfect sweet-tart balance, outstanding juiciness and crisp texture. The Gala has a similar shape to the Fuji but has a more polished look. The skin may be a bit thicker and more leathery than the Fuji but the flesh is just as inviting.

The Red Delicious was developed in Iowa in 1881 and is currently grown in all areas of the United States except the South. It’s strong points are uniformity and its attractive dark red color. But it can be a bit too sweet and can get mealy (in part because consumers and stores like to display it out of refrigeration). The Red Delicious doesn’t cook well because it falls apart under sustained heat. Yellow to yellow-green and lightly freckled, Golden Delicious was developed in West Virginia in 1890. It isn’t quite as sweet as the Red Delicious but it cooks much better. The distinctively striped Gravenstein is a German import (circa 1824) and is now grown mostly in California. It’s more of a cooking - especially for applesauce - than an eating-out-of-hand apple.

The bright red Jonathan, a New York variety developed in 1880, doubles nicely as an eating and cooking apple because of its crispness and pleasantly tart flavor. The McIntosh, which originated in Ontario, Canada in 1870 and is still grown there as well as in British Columbia, is a more tender and slightly less tart apple. For these reasons, cooking with this red and green variety is limited but it remains a fine apple for eating fresh. Bright green Granny Smith is called "tart-sweet-tart" meaning it is mostly tart but with a hint of sweetness. Its firm texture and good size as well as flavor makes it ideal for baking.

The large, shiny red Rome Beauty is strictly a cooking apple, almost never eaten out of hand or in any raw preparation. Try it for whole baked apples - but not for apple pies (see Preparation). Tart Staymans have deep, purplish-red skins. They’re firm, tart and juicy - ideal for baking and eating fresh. Winesaps are close enough to Staymans to be kiss’in cousins.

The Newton Pippin, also called the Yellow Newton was developed in New York in the early 18th century and should not be confused with the European Pippin. Now grown primarily in the Northwest, Oregon, California and Virginia, this medium-size apple has green to yellow coloring and a wine-like flavor. The shiny red York Imperial (also known simply as the York) won’t get any prizes for uniformity, but its firm texture and winy flavor makes it a good candidate for baking. The firm textured and slightly tart Empire is a fine all-purpose apple and much underrated.

Among the lesser known varieties, the Baldwin apple, introduced in Massachusetts around 1740 is now grown in New York and Michigan as well as New England. It’s slightly tart and a good apple for cooking. The mildly acidic, small to medium size Northern Spy (sometimes just called Spy) has red streaks and can be used for snacking and cooking. The Spygold is a mixture of Spy and Golden Delicious apples. But it is not as widely available as the Jonagold, a combination of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples.

Red and green-gold Braeburn, a New Zealand import, is sweet, aromatic and juicy. Tart and juicy Idared is a popular eating apple. And the tart Rhode Island Greening - sometimes just called Greening - is a Northeastern apple (as you might suspect) and just dandy for apple pies.

SEASONS

The seasons vary from variety to variety. Gravensteins and Galas start appearing in August. Cortlands, Empires, Idareds, Jonathans, McIntoshes, Newton Pippins, Staymans and Winesaps follow in September. Most of these varieties continue well into spring or early summer, though the Jonagold has a relatively short lifespan from September through October. In October you’ll also see Braeburns, Fujis, and Romes. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples are available year round.

Through the miracle of Controlled Atmosphere storage - CA in industry lingo - apples picked in the fall can be available well into the following spring. Since apples take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide as they deteriorate, scientists discovered that by keeping apples in airtight rooms (which can contain as many as 100,000 boxes of apples) with reduced levels of oxygen (from around 21 percent in the air we breathe to less than 2 percent), low temperatures (30 to 36 degrees) and high humidity (around 95 percent), apples can be stored up to 12 months.

SELECTION, HANDLING & STORAGE

Since so many of us buy produce from appearance, it’s not surprising that the shiny Red Delicious is a best seller. But if you look for taste, rather than cosmetic beauty, you’ll often be pleasantly surprised.

The first consideration when shopping for apples is to decide how you plan to use them - out-of-hand for the lunch bag, baked by themselves or in pies and cakes, for salad or in applesauce. Apples have their own characteristics and some go well with one kind of preparation but not for another. For example, Cortland apples are a good choice for salads because they tend not to turn brown once cut as other apples do. Generally though, it’s a good idea to experiment and mix apples for most kinds of apple dishes to get the flavor or combination of flavors that appeal to you.

An apple’s color should be vibrant with no browning near the core and the size generally is a good indicator of maturity---the larger the apple, the riper you will find it. Apples should be firm to hard and not easily bruised. There should be no broken skins or blemishes, though a few freckles are okay in some varieties.

They should be kept cool. If not they become overripe quickly which affects texture and flavor. When left out at room temperature apples become mealy and mushy. Since most apples are picked at their peak ripeness, any additional ripening actually means an acceleration in the decaying process. To stem this decay, apples should be refrigerated as soon as they are brought home from the market - no matter how nice they look in that bowl on the dining room table.

If purchased in good condition, apples should last up to six weeks in the refrigerator. But check them often and remove any decayed apples because"‘one rotten apple can really spoil the whole bunch."

NUTRITION

One medium apple (154 grams, almost 5.5 ounces) contains 80 calories, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of dietary fiber, .5 grams of fat and 6% of the RDA for vitamin C.

Apples are in high dietary which fiber helps maintain regularity and avoid constipation. The soluble fiber in apples - in the form of pectin - helps to lower cholesterol levels. Pectin also aids in preventing colon cancer. Apples are rich in boron which helps to stem the onset of osteoporosis. And apples can help boost estrogen levels in women.

YIELD

Figuring how many apples are in a pound is as easy as 1,2,3,4. One pound of apples is made up of 2 large, 3 medium or 4 small apples. A pound also yields about 2 to 21/2 cups of chopped or sliced apples. For a nine-inch pie you’ll need between six and eight medium to large apples.

TIP

Store apples as cold as possible in the refrigerator. They won’t freeze until the temperature dips to 28.5 degrees.

PREPARATION

Apples have a multitude of uses when raw (fruit salads, Waldorf salad) or cooked (applesauce, baked whole apples). They have a particular affinity for pork and cinnamon. But above all, apples go into the quintessential American dessert, apple pie. So we thought you’d like to know what apples make a great apple pie.

When I did some research for a magazine story on apple pies a few years ago, I surveyed a number of America’s top dessert makers. All rejected the Rome Beauty which, though considered a "cooking apple," is not renowned for apple pies. Nor is the Red Delicious, which can be mushy and overly sweet. Nor the McIntosh, a favorite of New England and New York as an eating apple but not quite sturdy enough for pies. Nor the soft and sweet Gravenstein which makes far better applesauce than apple pie.

All said a good apple pie demands a hearty, tart and aromatic apple along the lines of the Newton Pippin or a Granny Smith, the favorites of Marion Cunningham, author of "The Fanny Farmer Cookbook" (Knopf, 1990), Susan Purdy, author of "Easy as Pie" (Collier Books, 1984), Flo Braker, author of "The Simple Art of Perfect Baking" (Chapters, 1992) and Maida Heatter, known affectionately as America’s Dessert Queen. The Rhode Island Greening also fits into that category.

Jim Dodge, former longtime pastry chef at the Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco, likes Gala apples for their firmness, Baldwin apples (especially when still a little green), and Cortland apples for those who prefer sweetness over tartness. My mother-in-law Madge Keane, who makes a terrific apple pie, has always touted the tangy Northern Spy. Other apples to consider are the Stayman, Winesap, and Jonathan - also the Golden Delicious which Braker says tastes better cooked than raw.

The time of year can also determine whether an apple is right for apple pie. People don't think of apple pies in the fall for nothing. Unripe apples in August can be watery and slightly sour. After months of storage, late winter and early spring apples can be a little mealy.

Totally confused about which apple to use? Braker has this nifty little test. Cut a slice of the apple in question and put it in a small bowl with a bit of sugar and water. Zap it for a few minutes in the microwave oven and taste it. Is it too mushy? Overly astringent? Or just right? If you're lucky enough to have more than one apple to choose from, consider using a combination of apples for a more complex flavor.

PORK MEDALLIONS WITH APPLES AND CIDER

Pork and apples always seem to go together.

• 1 small pork tenderloin, about 8 ounces
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tablespoon clarified butter
• 1 firm tart apple such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup hard apple cider (or non-alcoholic sparkling cider)

1) Cut tenderloin into 1-inch-thick slices. Put slices between butcher paper or aluminum foil and pound until about 1/4-inch thick. You should have about 6 slices.

2)Combine flour with ginger, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Dredge pork medallions in seasoned flour and shake off excess.

3) In a non-stick skillet large enough to hold all the medallions comfortably in one layer, heat clarified butter over medium heat. When fat is hot, add pork and cook about 3 minutes on each side.

4) Remove cutlets to a warm platter or serving plates. Add apples to the skillet. Cook a few minutes, turning to brown evenly. Add cider and raise heat to medium-high. As soon as the sauce thickens, pour over pork. Serves 2.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: To clarify butter, put a pound of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Gently simmer 5 minutes, remove from the heat and cool 5 minutes. Skim off the top layer of foam. Pour the clarified butter gently into a bowl. Stop when you reach the milky white solids on the bottom of the pan. Don’t throw out the milky solids. They’re delicious on cooked vegetables. clarified butter keeps several weeks in the refrigerator.

SIXES WILD BAKED APPLES

There are few desserts that are more comforting and easier to make than baked apples. At Vincenzo's, my first restaurant in Philadelphia, baked apples were stuffed with raisins and pine nuts and served with creme anglais. This recipe is a little lighter but just as satisfying. In place of dried cranberries, you can use any dried fruit such as dried cherries. Also, you can switch from sherry to Marsala, Madeira or a fruit-flavored brandy.

• 6 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 6 tablespoons cream sherry
• 6 tart apples such as winesap or stayman
• 6 teaspoons lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 teaspoons butter
• Faux creme anglais (see Sam’s Cooking Tip)

1) Soak cranberries in cream sherry about 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, core the apples and peel the top third. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

3) Drain cranberries and stuff into the cavities of the apples. Sprinkle cavities and tops of apples with sugar, then sprinkle with sherry. Dot with butter. Bake, covered in a conventional oven at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Or, in a microwave oven about 15 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking.

4) When done, apples should be soft but still maintain their shape. Serve with faux creme anglais. Serves 6.

Sam's Cooking Tip: To keep this a low-fat dessert, try this faux creme anglais I learned from the suzerain of slim, Jeanne Jones. Melt low or non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream to room temperature. Add some liqueur of your choice (Grand Marnier or Amaretto), then pour a thin pool of it on a plate and top with the apple.

MADGE'S APPLE PIE

Pies are very difficult to bring in under 10 grams of fat or 30 percent of calories per serving because it's almost impossible to make a decent crust without a certain amount of fat. But this pie, from my mother-in-law Madge Keane, is so good, we just had to share it with you.

• Crust:
  2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup plus a few tablespoons well-chilled milk
• Filling:
  6 cups (about 4 to 5) large, tart apples such as Northern Spy or a mixture of apples of your choice (see Preparation), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1) For crust, combine flour and salt in a bowl. Combine oil and milk in a covered jar and shake vigorously to mix. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and pour oil and milk mixture in. Form two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger one between two sheets of plastic wrap so it is just large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan.

2) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put apples in a large bowl. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and seasonings in a small bowl. Pour over apples and toss. Put apples in pie plate and spread evenly.

3) Roll out remaining ball of dough. Place over filling, pinch edges all around to secure and make a few slits on top with a sharp knife. Brush with a remaining milk and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake on a sheet pan 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 45 to 60 minutes more or until nicely browned and bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

Sam's Cooking Tip: To make up for the more-than-usual amount of fat, this recipe uses heart-healthy canola oil instead of shortening or butter. You could also cut the fat somewhat by using 1% milk instead of whole milk in the crust.

TURKEY WALDORF WITH FENNEL

This is a great dish for the day after big holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.

• 2 cups cooked turkey (smoked or roasted), cubed
• 2 cups crisp apples such as Fuji, Stayman or Granny Smith, cored (but not peeled) and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 cup fennel, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries, soaked 20 minutes in warm water and drained
• 1/4 cup minced scallions
• 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup low or non-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

1) Combine turkey, apples, fennel, cranberries and scallions in a mixing bowl.

2) In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over turkey et al. Mix well and refrigerate a few hours before serving. Serves 4 to 6.