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Celebrate Apples - Try Something New!

September 16, 2015

Vermont apple orchards are enjoying a phenomenal season! Perfect conditions have meant an abundance of fruit, and with hundreds of varieties growing across the state - it's the perfect season to find a new favorite! To get you started, we have asked a few of our members to share their favorite apple varieties and how they use them...

  Linda Fondulas, Newhall Farm - Snow Apple 

 

"We love the snow apple's delicate rose markings, its crisp white flesh, delicious flavor,
its local heritage from Quebec, its ancestry to the orange pippin, and it’s name!

How do you use the Snow Apple at Newhall Farm?

"The Snow Apple is part of the organic apple blend in our Newhall Farm Ice Cider, where we strive for balance of sweetness and acidity. With its apple-y long finish, Newhall Farm Ice Cider has won numerous awards... It seems the 19th century health adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away," has some validity - even when apples are transformed into ice cider!"

  Chef Doug Paine, Juniper Bar and Restaurant - Dolgo Crab

 

"At Juniper one of our favorite apples is the dolgo crab apple. It is crisp tart and colorful."

Can we find Dolgos on the Juniper menu?

"This fall we will have it as a vinaigrette on a hearty green salad with roasted delicata squash, native flint corn nuts and radishes."

 

David Dolginow, Shacksbury - Variety Unknown 


"We love this apple [pictured], which we found in a dairy pasture near our cidery. It's part of an old orchard that dates back to the 1870s.We used this variety in our 2013 Lost and Found cider and will again this year. It is high in both tannins and acidity and has these fabulous spicy aromatics, making it a wonderful apple for cider (and a terrible apple to eat!)."

Why is it unknown?

"The apples of America's early cider tradition, lost for a variety of reasons, are not hard to find in Vermont - once you know what you're looking for. Though far less numerous than they once were, the trees materialize around every bend, and over every hill, hiding in plain sight. To us, these trees represent a door to another time, and the basis for superior cider" 

Learn more about Shacksbury's Lost Apple Project through this link!

  Laura and Michael Kloeti, Michael's on the Hill - Crab Apple

 

"The crab apple is the prettiest tree and totally underrated. Its tartness lends itself to all kinds of recipes."

 How do you feature Crab Apples at Michael's?

"Crab Apple Sorbet!" 

...and we have the recipe! 

Michael's on the Hill - Crab Apple Sorbet
Yield: 3.5 Q Sorbet

1 Pound Crab Apples, washed
2 Cups Apple Cider
1 Each Vanilla Bean, split
1 Quart Sugar
1 Quart Water

- In a heavy bottomed sauce pot cook down apples and cider slowly on low heat until soft.
- Pass through a food mill to remove seeds and skin.
- Purée in blender until smooth. Cool.
- In another pot, scrape in the vanilla bean, and add pod, water and sugar. Simmer. Cool down with vanilla bean. Strain.
- Mix 2 parts of the purée with 1 part of the syrup.
- Process in your favorite ice cream maker and enjoy.
 

Megan Humphrey, Shelburne Orchard - McIntosh

 

"I apologize in advance, but I’m all about the McIntosh. I keep trying all of the other apple varieties—honest, I make an attempt every year! But, it’s like a dear old friend who I only get to see once a year. And that friend’s name is Mac."

What your favorite recipe for Macs?

"Friends comment all of the time, “What’s the secret to your applesauce? It’s the best I’ve ever tasted!” It’s a KISS secret: Keep It Simple Stupid. I peel, core, and cut McIntosh apples into small pieces. Then, I put them into a large cooking pot, add a little water, cover them, and turn the heat to medium until the apples begin to cook down. At that point, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer until it’s the consistency of applesauce that you like. Mash them a bit. Done! (I don’t even add sugar or cinnamon.) Personally, I’m a lazy cook so I just fill freezer bags when the applesauce has cooled and keep them in the freezer for the long, cold Vermont winter. Homemade applesauce is a great addition to any meal and it’s such a nice hostess gift."

You can pick your own macs and more at Shelburne Orchard - visit them this season! 

 

Mark Simakaski, Artesano Mead - Honeycrisp

 

"Honeycrisp- the name says it all! It brings some nice acidity with great flavor and compliments our mead."

How do you use Vermont apples in your mead?

"In a lovely Sparkling Cyser - honey and apples fermented together, combining two great Green Mountain flavors into one. The apples are a select blend of cider varieties from Champlain Orchards, and the honey comes from Champlain Valley Bees and Queens, just up the road from the apples."

Find Artesano Mead to try at home through this link!

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