NEW ENGLAND APPLE-OF-THE-WEEK:

"MY THAT'S DELICIOUS-

AND THAT'S THE NAME FOR IT!"

News from

NEW ENGLAND APPLES

P. O. B 41, Hatfield, MA 01038 www.apples-ne.com 413-247-9966

HATFIELD, MA-The sweetest and juiciest Delicious apples you can buy are locally grown right here on New England soil. Both Eastern Red and Golden Delicious are cultivated in the region, and they share the distinction of being named this week's New England Apple of the Week. They are just two of the apple varieties ready for picking at the region's orchards, along with Cortland, McIntosh, Empire, Honeycrisp, Gala, and a number of new and heirloom varieties. With fall foliage approaching its peak, this is the heart of New England's apple harvest.

The Red Delicious is an excellent keeper known for the consistency of its texture, bright red color and conical shape. It is a sweet apple, lightly aromatic with a firm, cream-colored flesh. The Eastern Red Delicious is a little smaller and has a knobbier end than its more common Western cousin, and generally is a little juicier and sweeter ripening under New England's long summer days and crisp fall nights. Developed in the 1870s, the Delicious was initially called "Hawkeye." The apple was renamed in 1893 after C. M. Stark bit into one and said, "My that's delicious-and that's the name for it!" It is best eaten fresh, in salads and fruit compotes.

The Golden Delicious also underwent a name change. Originally called Mullins Yellow Seedling after its discovery in West Virginia in 1890, the apple was renamed Golden Delicious when introduced commercially in 1916. Though not technically related to the Red Delicious, the Golden shares its shape and many of its leading characteristics. Like the Red, the Golden Delicious is a sweet, medium-to-large apple, and an excellent keeper. The Golden Delicious has a greenish-yellow skin that turns gold, and its yellow flesh is crisp and juicy. Apple writer Frank Browning includes the Golden Delicious in his list of "20 prized apples" in his book Apples (1998, North Point Press), praising it as "exceptionally juicy" and because its flesh holds up when cooked. A good all-purpose apple, the Golden Delicious is considered excellent in snacks, fresh desserts and salads.

Olwen Woodier 's 1984 classic, The Apple Cookbook, was reprinted by Storey Books in 2001. In addition to recipes, it has some apple history and statistics, profiles of several orchards, and a wealth of information about the different varieties and how to harvest, store and prepare them. Here is an adaptation of one of Woodier's unusual, yet easy-to-make, apple pies:

Apple Envelope

Preheat oven to 400, and grease a large baking sheet. Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/2 inch squares. In a medium bowl, combine apples with raisins, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. Roll the pastry to a circle approximately 10 inches in diameter. Spoon the apple mixture over half the dough, leaving a one-inch border. Fold the other half over the apples, moisten the edge with milk, and seal. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Place on the baking sheet, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 45 minutes. Makes two servings.

For links to pick-your-own orchards throughout the region, visit the New England Apples website at www.apples-ne.com, or call 413-247-9966.