Picking Fall Apples

Apple Pomegranate Salad Recipe and Guide to Apple Varieties

Oct 21, 2007 Jacqueline Church

Fall is apple season. The variety available is greater than ever, including more heirloom varieties. Opalescent Apple a new favorite, tart, sweet and crisp.

So many apple varieties are available this year, including several heirlooms that are new to me. I thought it was time for an fall apple quiz.

Take a look at the photos below and see if you can match the apple to the varietal. Apples are versatile starring in sweet desserts or savory entrees equally well. With a range of sweet to tart and crisp to softer, there is a perfect apple for whatever you choose.

Here are the varieties:

Gala
Cameo
Fuji
Honeycrisp
Spencer
Opalescent

Another fall fruit, pomegranate, pairs well with apple. Here is a salad combining both that sings Autumn. Fresh Thyme and mustard add fragrant notes to the dressing.

Apple Pomegranate Salad

For the salad:

Peel and core one apple – a sweeter variety with slight tartness is preferred.
Open a pomegranate
Rinse and spin dry red leaf lettuce.

Dressing:

Dijon or grain mustard.
Low fat sour cream
Sherry vinegar
Shallot.
Fresh thyme.
Best quality Olive Oil.
Goat cheese.

Technique:

Flavors, therefore amounts, are to taste. The flavor profile to aim for is a balance of tart and sweet. Mustard and thyme are complementary both to each other and with apples. The sherry vinaigrette's sharpness is tamed a bit with the secret ingredient of a touch of sour cream.
Combine mustard and sour cream in a ratio of about 2:1 mustard:sour cream. This will emulsify the dressing and give it a little zing, but not too much. Strip several stems of fresh thyme leaves and mince finely one small to medium shallot. Whisk in sherry vinegar, then slowly whisk in olive oil.
Toss well-dried lettuce with dressing and top with apple chunks, pomegranate seeds and a crumble of goat cheese.

If you are in the mood for baking, this is an easy and delicious cake. Perfect for lunchboxes or with your morning tea. Mrs. Fisher's Apple Torte.

Can you tell which is which? Here's a little info on each.

Gala – Sweet snacking apple with orange-y color and stripes.
Cameo – This was not a deliberate hybrid but thought to be a cross between Golden Delicious and Red Delicious.
Fuji – Light yellow-green to all red. Sweet apple, best for eating.
Honeycrisp – Bright red and pale green skin. Cream-colored, juicy flesh. Good all around – snacking, cooking, baking.
Spencer – Cross of Golden Delicious and Macintosh. Firm crisp, sweet makes it great eating apple.
Opalescent – Large apple with yellow skin and red blush. Crisp and tart, it's good for baking and eating.

Other apple facts:

Pomology – Science of apples.
One apple has about 5 grams of fiber, only 80 calories and no fat, sodium or cholesterol.
Apples ripen 10 times faster on the counter than in the fridge. They'll keep well in a plastic bag in the cool part of your fridge.
The average American eats about 19.6 pounds of apples per year.
What's another name for Apples of Love?

The copyright of the article Picking Fall Apples in Gourmet Food is owned by Jacqueline Church. Permission to republish Picking Fall Apples in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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