An apple a day...

[caddyman]

Ever since I have been (tentatively) trying to eat more healthily, I have scarfed back more apples than ever before in my life. In fact, since January, I have probably eaten more apples than in my previous 48 years combined. In the past, I would occasionally pick up and eat an apple and usually enjoy it, but I never really felt the need to go back and have another one; that single apple would cheerfully last me oh, I don’t know, twenty years?¹ When the apple-eating rate was higher than that, it would have been when I was a kid and had much less control over what I could eat.

On those rare occasions I stopped to think about the humble apple, I decided quite early on that my favourite is the good old Granny Smith and that the Golden Delicious was the greatest misnomer in the species Malus domestica², particularly the French Golden Delicious, which to my taste buds seemed (and seems) like an exercise in developing cotton that grows in a handy green wrapper.

Anyway, I have just explored a rather disappointing³ Egremont Russet and have a slightly battered Pink Lady awaiting its fate in, probably, an hour or so from now. Since Pink Lady apples were recommended to me I have to say that they have moved up the list and are close on the heels of the Granny Smith as far as my tastes go in these matters.

I now find myself soliciting advice on where to go next in my trip around the world’s apples. To be honest, British apples, or at least apples grown in Britain – I don’t care much if they originated abroad, I just don’t care to spend a fortune on an apple that has been flown from Guatemala and has a mild aroma of chicory⁴.

To make the grade, an apple has to be crisp, firm, juicy and not too tart or too sweet. It can vary pretty much between sweet and tart, but shouldn’t move from inducing a diabetic coma on the one hand to causing my face to implode on the other. And yes, I am willing to give the humble russet a second chance, but I shall have it a little fresher next time.

¹A bit of an exaggeration. Ten years is probably more accurate.

²I am far more learned with the internet than I am without it.

³To be fair, I have had it hanging around about 3 weeks: it may have tasted better when fresher.

⁴For the sake of discussion, let’s pretend that I am more mindful of my carbon footprint than I really am. It gives me extra brownie points for no additional effort on my part.

Comments

[sack-boy.livejournal.com]

A couple of summers ago I got a couple of bags of Empire Apples from the Spondon Asda (and later from the St. Evenage Tesco.) Crunchy but a bit sweeter that I would prefer. YMMV. Apparently not that readily available.

This might help find more varieties to try.

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

Cox's Orange Pippin. IMO, the best apple in the world.

[sack-boy.livejournal.com]

If you can wait, there's an annual "Apple Day" on or about 21st October (usually a weekend) and lots of places have open days and tasting of many varieties.

[fencingsculptor.livejournal.com]

Pink Lady Apples often come from the US. And this is reflected in their price include the high cost of transporting them.

So not only are your apples melting the ice caps and leaving pengins like Opus homeless but your Apples are from the land of Apple Pie and support the war in Iraq and you should be ashamed.... (sorry I've got a grip now!)

Breaburn apples are quite nice - and meet your requirements. they are also cheaper. British ones are still around but I think most are coming from the France at the mo.

Good luck in your apple quest


PS maybe you should try making the odd crumble....as a treat.

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

http://www.jusapples.co.uk/apple_varieties.asp - might give you some ideas.

Personally I like Discovery apples. I gets them from the farm shop though, so dunno whether you'd be able to find them in stinky Nodnol.

[mathcathy]

I like Discovery apples best, too - they're English, but only seem to be widely available in apple season, in the autumn - they may be too tart for your tastes, though.

I'd recommend Red Delicious, but I have no idea where they come from.

Or Empire, Braeburn or Pink Lady, but other people have recommended those

[ladkyis.livejournal.com]

Cox's Orange Pippin. A lovely crisp, crunchy apple with a distinct orangey zest in the flavour not too sweet but not a sour apple juicy enough to make your mouth water.

My most favourite of apples.

[velvet-the-cat.livejournal.com]

Can't really help much as my number one is also the Granny Smith, followed by the crispier crop of the Golden Delicious!

Pink Ladies are okay, but I have heard that they are naughtier than most when it comes to the sugar levels. (No idea if there's any truth in it though.)

Traditional English eating apple varieties sadly don't work for me - texture's all wrong.

Bramleys are the ONLY apple for cooking though.

See - said it wouldn't help! ;o)