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Apples

Jonathan

This variety of apples was discovered in Woodstock, N.Y., in the 1920s and is known for its use in pies and applesauce. This crimson apple with occasional touches of green has a spicy tang that blends well with other varieties in sauces and cider. Jonathan is typically available from September through April.

Golden Delicious

This old favorite was discovered as a chance seedling in 1890 in Clay County, W.Va., and was originally named Mullin's Yellow Seedling. Renamed in 1916, its parents are thought to be Golden Reinette and Grimes Golden. Goldens have a pale yellow skin, sometimes with a red blush. Mellow and sweet, all-purpose Goldens are great for eating out of hand, baking and salads. Golden's crisp, pale yellow flesh resists browning, making it a good choice for salads and other dishes. Goldens appear on the market in September, and are available year-round. Cooks, note that you can reduce the amount of added sugar when making pies with Goldens.

Red Delicious

This most widely recognized of all U.S. apple varieties originated in Iowa in the 1870s. This sweet, crispy, juicy apple varies in color from striped red to solid midnight red. Western Red Delicious are elongated in shape, with pronounced "feet"; Eastern-grown Delicious are more round. This apple is best eaten fresh or in salads. Red Delicious apples are available year round, starting in September.

Rome Beauty

Referred to as the "baker's buddy," this apple was discovered as a chance seedling in the early 1800s on a farm near Rome Township, Ohio. Famed for its storage qualities, this mildly tart apple is primarily used for cooking and is especially good baked or sautéed. The Rome apple is typically available beginning in September.

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How Many apples do I need? A guide to apple yields:
One pound (1/2 kilogram) of apples generally consists of: 4 small
apples / 3 medium apples / 2 large apples
Two medium apples are needed to yield one cup of grated apple.
Allow two pounds of apples for one nine inch apple pie.
A peck of apples weights approximately 10.5 - 12 lbs.
Use one pound of apples to yield 3 cups diced apples. Use one pound
of apples to yield 2-3/4 cups pared and sliced apples.
One bushel of apples weight about 42 lbs and will yield 18-20 quarts
of canned or frozen apple slices.

Beauty May or May Not Be Skin Deep...
You can not tell if an apple is ripe just by looking at it's skin color. If there have been cool nights and sunny days late in the growing season, the apples will have a deep color, just like a sun tan. But if there were warm nights and cloudy days at the end of the season, the apples will have a paler skin. But both will taste just as good.

Easy Storage Tips.
In the bag.... if you buy apples in a plastic bag, which helps retain moisture, leave them in there. Then store the bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Why? Because apples ripen ten times faster at room temperature than when refrigerated. Cool air helps prevent decay and helps maintain quality, juiciness and crispness.

One bad apple... as the saying goes, one bad apple - undetected - can spoil the whole bunch.
That's why it's important to sort and use apples with defects immediately. Only perfect apples, free of bruise and decay, should be kept for later use. Cheaper by the bushel ... Generally, large quantity buying (by half bushel or bushel) is more economical than buying small amounts of apples when purchasing then in the store ... assuming you have a suitable place to store the extra apples. Although the refrigerator is the ideal storage place, you can keep apples in a cools cellar, garage or porch if you so choose, as long as the temperature remains constant and doesn't freeze. For best results, line the container with plastic to prevent moisture loss, and cover the fruit with a moist towel.
How cool is too cool... Apples store best at 32-40° F., and can be ruined if frozen.

How to pick an apple
Cup the apple in the palm of one hand. With your other hand, put
your thumb and forefinger at the base of the apple's stem. Twist
very gently so that the apple moves a bit to the side and a bit
upward. Two or more turns may be necessary. The stem will snap
off the branch. Try not to get any leaves with your apple. Next
year's crop is already starting to develop where the stem and the
branch connect. If you break off some of the branch with your
apple, then no apple will grow there next year,
so please, be very careful.

How many apples does it take to make one gallon of apple cider?
One bushel of apples will make approximately 3-1/2 gallons of cider.

How many trees does MJ Ranch have?
We have about 650 trees with room for about 3,000 of the new varieties on our 10 acres. As older trees become non-productive they are replaced with new, shorter tree varieties, resulting easier to pick apples.

This apple has a mark on it, is it still good?
Bruising: Just as in humans, apples can get bruised. Bruising occurs when too much pressure is applied to the surface of the apple so that the fruit inside is partially crushed. The result are a dark, soft area on the apple. Tan-colored rough areas are fairly common, and do not at all mean that the apple is unfit for eating. These marks are from hail damage, branches, etc. This is simply the apple's way of healing itself, mother nature's band-aid. While it doesn't look as pretty, an apple with these marks will taste just the same. For either of these cases, simply cut off the offending portion of the apple.

This apple isn't red yet, is that okay?
Absolutely. If there have been cool nights and sunny days late in the growing season, the apples will have a deep color, just like a sun tan (This is also why the shady side of the apple will remain green). But if there were warm nights and cloudy days at the end of the season, the apples will have a paler skin. But both will taste just as good.

Do leaves really grow from inside the apple?
Contrary to popular depiction, the leaves grow from the branch, as does the apple.

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PEARS

BARTLETT The bell-shaped Bartlett is considered the season opener because it comes on in late summer. Once considered to have a fleeting run of availability, with improved storage conditions, you can now find the Bartlett throughout the winter right along with the other "winter pears." Bartlett varieties can be yellow or red.

BOSC Arriving in late August, just half a step behind the Bartlett, it remains available through March. More and more people are appreciating this pear's finer qualities, and overlooking its brown and rough exterior. The Bosc has a longneck and gracefully curing stem and is one of the sweetest pears (second only to the Comice). particularly gritty in the unripened state, the flesh becomes creamy once picked and allowed to ripen off the tree. Once ripe, its texture remains firmer than many other varieties, which makes the Bosc ideal for cooking and preserving.

SECKEL Available from August through February, for canners this is the prized small pear which is sought out for pickling or packing with a sweet syrup. Because of their diminutive size, they look lovely when packed whole in the canning jar. They are excellent for eating, cooking, canning, and pickling. The flesh is quite buttery with a spiceness in flavor.

COMICE Considered the juiciest, sweetest and most favored pear for gift boxex and fruit baskets, the treasure comice arrives in September and is usually available into April. When properly ripened, the flesh becomes as smooth as butter and exquisitely juicy. The Comice is medium to large, and has a short-but-defined neck and round, plumpish bottom. The skin is relatively thick, with either crimson red or green-yellow color. The flesh is ivory and very sweet and flavorful. In fact, some insist that a well-ripened Commice should not be peeled, but merely cut in half and scooped out with a spoon

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The pears I find in the grocery store are hard and green, why?
Pears are a unique fruit that ripen best off the tree. So Pears are shipped fully mature, but not always ripe. This assures that pears you buy are in good condition to ripen as you need then after you buy them.

Ripening
To hurry the ripening process, keep pears at room temperature, each piece individually wrapped in paper, or enclosed in a paper bag ventilated with a few holes. Check them with some frequency. Grandma Barbara once said that pears ripen from the inside out. Looks can be deceiving so test the stem end for that slight "give" to tell you when the pear is ready.

How do I know when a pear is ripe and ready to eat?
Pears do not ripen well on trees. They are harvested mature but unripe and need to be ripened after harvest. Bartlett pears change from green to yellow as they ripen. Non-Bartlett pears (Anjou, Bosc, Comice, Seckel and Forelle) do not dramatically change color as they ripen. Because pears ripen from the inside out, the best way to check for ripeness is to "check the neck for ripeness". To do this, gently press near the stem with your thumb. When it gives to gentle pressure it is ripe, juicy and ready to eat. If you wait until the pear is soft around the middle chances are it will be overripe.

How long will pears keep in the fridge?
Once they are ripened, pears will generally keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Unripe fruit can generally be kept for a week or more, however, pears will not ripen properly inside the fridge.

Why are some pears brown or have brown spots?
Several varieties are naturally brown or have spots called russeting. It is normal for the variety. You cannot judge a pear by its color, as most don't change color as they ripen and the russeted varieties are often the sweetest.
 

PEARS IN RED WINE  - for salad or dessert

Red Bartlett  Pears  - 8
Juice of 1/2 lemon, 2/3 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water,1 and1/2 cup red wine

1/2 stick cinnamon, a few cloves ,two strips lemon rind, 1Tbs cornstarch

Peel pears, leaving stem on. Remove eye of bottom with small knife

Put each pear in bowl of water with lemon juice.temporarily.

Combine sugar, wine, water, cinnamon, cloves, lemon rind in saucepan.

Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil for one
minute.  Drain pears and add to syrup.  Cover and cook until tender,
about 20-30 minutes., turning over once.

Remove pears to a deep dish. Remove cloves and cinn. stick.
Mix cornstarch with 2Tbs water and add to syrup. Cook until thickens.
Spoon  over pears. Refrigerate. They will be bright red!

Serve with whipped cream or as a salad.

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