William Penn Life, 2008 (43. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2008-10-01 / 10. szám
fhe Kitehet and great for snacking and salads. They have a color of green gold to red and available October to July. GOLDEN DELICIOUS are available year-round with a mellow flavor. They are great for baking or cooking as they are an all-purpose apple. The skin is tender and doesn't require peeling. The RED DELICIOUS variety is most popular for eating out of hand but not for cooking as it lacks tartness. FUJI apples have a crisp, juicy sweetness that makes a great sauce but can be eaten out of hand as well. Yellow-gold to red, they are also available year round. GALA have a yellow-orange skin color with subtle red stripes. They have a sweet, crisp taste and make a great snack or salad apple. Their season runs from August to March. JONAGOLD is a blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious varieties that have a tangy, sweet flavor that can be eaten or cooked with great results and are available September to April. GRANNY SMITH is tart and tangy. They are best baked or sautéed but can be enjoyed as a snack. They are light green in color and can be found year round. McINTOSH apples are available October to December. They are juicy, slightly tart and aromatic. Great for snacking and widely used in salads, sauces, pies and cider. Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, pectin (which helps prevent cholesterol build-up) and some vitamin C which can be found in the skin. They also contain vitamin A, iron, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. Apples don't have any cholesterol or fat which makes them a healthy eating option. They also contain the flavonoid quercetin which is an antioxidant and helps protect the heart, arteries and body against some cancers. When buying apples make sure they are firm and well colored and have a fresh fragrance. Apples are at their best in the autumn when most are harvested. Store apples in a cool, dark place or in a plastic bag under refrigeration. When buying apples choose the variety by how you intend to use them, either snacking, baking or cooking. Allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ground coriander, ginger, mace and nutmeg go well with apples. Cranberries cooked with apples make tasty desserts, jellies or juice. Two popular alcoholic products made from apples are Lairds Applejack (American) and Calvados Apple Brandy (French), considered the finest in the world. CIDER is a drink that dates back to the Roman Empire. It is made by pressing the fruit, usually apples, to produce juice. At one time when apples were thought to be sacred fruit (Garden of Eden), the juice was considered liquid gold. The first cider came from wild apples (crab apples) and was very tart. At one time in the world, beer, wine or ciders, along with milk or water, were the only beverages commonly consumed by man. "Sweet" cider is fresh-pressed juice, and the "Hard" variety is fermented with a wide range in alcohol content. Apple cider is also used to make vinegar and brandy. The variety we buy at farmers stands is usually sweet with no preservatives added. It must be kept cool and consumed within a week or two, otherwise it turns into vinegar. Cider contains phenolics and antioxidants which help the body fight cancer causing agents. Cider is different from apple juice in that the juice is filtered clear then pasteurized. Most apple cider is opaque in color and only filtered for large particles before being packaged and sold. Fresh cider is available from local orchards in the fall when apple harvesting is at its peak. So there you have it! Try all the recipes on the next page and have fun with apples this month and all the upcoming holiday's. Trivia answer: Born in the Mohawk Valley of New York then going to Canada, John McIntosh discovered the seedling tree growing wild and planted a few in his garden. A few years later they produced an apple we now call McIntosh Red. Have a great month! Jé fógzai&os Öm* "TheHungarian Kitchen" is a trademark of William S. Vasvary. When making any apple recipe that calls for adding liquid, use apple juice instead. A pie crust wetted with apple juice adds extra flavor to your finished product. A glaze made with an apple juice reduction makes a turnover look fantastic and tastes great as well. Using fresh cider along with apple vinegar makes for the perfect vinaigrette to pour over any salad. 1 1 William Penn Life, October 2008
