North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

I prefer to combine two or three varieties in a pie, which seems to yield a
pie with deep and complex flavors and a balance of more-firm and less-firm
texture.  It surprised me that I like the textural variation, because I had
always preferred apple slices that hold up well, like Jonathan, Newton
Pippin, and Granny Smith.  But having a couple apples, and therefore
textures, makes one stand out as pleasantly and noticeably firm, while the
other provides a little bit of a melting, flavor-yielding fill throughout
the pie.  Even when the two are fairly close in firmness, their qualities
are emphasized by the contrast.

For a firm single apple pie with good flavor, though: Newtown Pippin, Cox's
Orange Pippin, Jonagold, and Stayman-Winesap.

Other apples you can purchase that make very good pies are: Royal Gala,
Empire, Braeburn, Fuji, Mutsu, and Pink Lady.

Macoun and Northern Spy might be harder to come by, but are great alone or
with other apples in pies.  

If you're going with the multi-apple approach, you could go with one to two
from each list above.

If you do happen to want try some softer fill, add some Cortland or McIntosh
(or Bramley).

Happy baking,

~ Stephen



-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Ginda Fisher
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 3:00 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: [NAFEX] cooking apples (was Bramley)


On Aug 30, 2005, at 1:40 PM, kieran or donna wrote:

> . . . and they cook soft.  . . . I don't know if it cooks
> soft or not.

Okay, enough about apples that cook soft.  Can anyone recommend good  
apples that cook firm, and have excellent cooked flavor?  I prefer a  
firm apple for my pies, and it needs to be tart.

Right now my favorite is Jonathan, which has a very rich flavor and  
the slices keep their shape nicely in a pie if I don't cook it too  
long.  But it doesn't keep well, and is very hard to find in my neck  
of the woods even when it is in season (eastern MA)  I'm particularly  
interested in apples I'll be able to buy.  We get a pretty good  
selection of the newer apples from the local farmers market and a few  
antiques at some pick your own places.   But it's a lot of work and  
record keeping to test-cook each one.

Thanks,
Ginda
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