Now In Season
Apples
Enjoy America’s favorite fruit.
Apples have been in cultivation for centuries with new varieties constantly being developed. With so many different apples out there, why do we struggle to find something different at the supermarket?
We have more than 50 varieties growing throughout our Heartland Harvest Garden at Powell Gardens and each one has qualities that set it apart from the others. Here in the Midwest, the season begins in July with Pristine and Lodi (both yellow eating apples) ripening first. The season continues through early November with the tart and tangy Granny Smith bringing up the rear. This is the time of year to take advantage of all these luscious beautiful apples as they are plentiful and at their peak of freshness.
Apple shopping tips:
- Buy in season. Refrigeration has made us lose our sense of what is in season. All fruit has an optimum season when flavor, freshness and nutritional value are at their peak. That’s why apples taste especially great right now.
- Buy Locally. Shipping and storage both have adverse effects on apple quality, even under the best of circumstances. Local growers are a great source of recipes, harvest information and suggestions. Supporting local growers helps preserve family farms. And buying fruit at the orchard is a lot more fun than pushing a shopping cart around.
- Keep apples cool. The number one mistake is not chilling apples after they are picked. Apples continue to ripen after harvest so keeping them cool will retard this process. Nothing can ruin an apples flavor and texture more than leaving it out on the counter at room temperature.
I know you’ll think this is strange but I actually think of apples as one of my comfort foods. Nothing seems to soothe my soul like crunching into a tart, chin drippin’ juicy Jonathon apple on a cool crisp autumn day. From apple sauce to apple cider, to countless desserts and breakfast items, make yourself feel like a kid again with the excitement of exploring the world of apples.
Several years ago I traveled to the Apple Festival in Lexington, Mo., where I ate my very first apple dumpling. Here’s my best, tried and true Apple Dumpling recipe:
Nectar of the Gods Apple Dumpling
(Makes 6 dumplings)
Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
½ cup butter
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp good cinnamon
Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes. Let cool while making dough.
Pastry
2 cups flour
¾ cup butter
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
Filling
6 medium cooking apples peeled, cored and sliced into even sections vertically. Keep individual apple pieces together as if one whole apple
Mix pastry ingredients together. Roll about 1/8” in thickness and cut into (6) 6”- 8” squares. Put one medium apple in center of each square. Bring opposite corners of pastry over apple. Overlap, moisten and seal. Lift carefully, place in deep baking dish. Pour syrup around dumplings. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Heavenly!!
Barbara A. Fetchenhier
Barbara A. Fetchenhier is the Fruits and Nuts Gardener for the Heartland Harvest Garden at Powell Gardens. Barbara's true passion is growing edibles. Several years ago she was selected as the first Heartland Harvest gardener; her responsibilities include overseeing the fruit and nut crops. She spends her ‘down time' at Fetchen' Honey Farm, a 20-acre paradise where Barb and her husband raise free-range meat and egg-producing chickens. Barbara is also an avid beekeeper.
The Heartland Harvest Garden opens on June 14th with a public celebration! Visit www.powellgardens.org for more information.
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