September 22, 2015 - Radio Kitchen - Apples
There used to be a sweet little tradition in these parts: if you wanted to get in good with your school teacher, your gave her an apple every day. Nice idea, but if the poor teacher comes to work every day and finds a plain old Red Delicious apple on here desk, she might get a little cranky. As Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has observed, the enterprising elementary school kid can do a lot better than that these days. Here are some locally produced apples that have caught Jerry's eye.
Winesap: Thought to have originated in New Jersey in the late 1700s, Winesap is one of our oldest apples still in commercial production (Newtown Pippin is the other). The Winesap is of medium size, with a thick red skin and crisp, crunchy, and juicy flesh. Great for making apple butter.
Northern Spy: This apple originated at East Bloomfield, New York, around 1800. This is a medium-to-large apple with a pale green-to-yellow undercast, heavily striped with red. Its mellow, creamy flesh is crisps, juicy, and richly aromatic. Because it is a biennial bearer, Northern Spy is declining in popularity with commercial orchardists.
Empire: a cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh, an ideal eating apple.
Ginger Gold: Al's favorite baking apple, spicy sweet and holds its shape.
Ida Red: It is a cross between a Jonathan and a Wagener. It is medium-to-large, bright red, and has creamy white flesh that is very firm, crisp, and juicy. Great for roasting whole.
Give these a try and leave on the teacher's desk. She won't toss it, we guarantee.
