Seasons/Availability
Grown in California and available year round, Red Delicious Apples are harvested in September and October.
Current Facts
According to the Washington State Apple Commission, the Red Delicious is America's favorite snacking apple.
Description/Taste
A gorgeous large firm heart-shaped red apple, the classic Red Delicious offers a crisp fine-grained texture and a mildly sweet flavor. Having a delectable refreshing taste, it is a supreme dessert apple. Usually solid red, these apples may have a vague yellow blush.
Nutritional Value
Apples have no cholesterol and contain pectin, a beneficial fiber. This fiber may actually work to reduce the body's cholesterol level. Pectin also slows glucose metabolism in diabetics. Apples contain potassium, which may reduce the chances of a stroke and have a trace of boron believed to build bones and to increase mental vitality. Apples offer a small amount of vitamin A and vitamin C and have only a trace of sodium. An average-size apple contains about 80 calories. Apples have long been referred to as Nature's toothbrush! While they don't actually clean the teeth, apples promote dental hygiene. Biting and chewing an apple stimulates the gums. The apple's sweetness promotes the flow of saliva which reduces tooth decay by decreasing the levels of bacteria in the mouth. Unpeeled apples provide the most nutritional benefits. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
Absolutely delicious out of hand, add this popular apple's juicy flavor and crunchy texture to liven up mixed green salads or fresh fruit salads. Use as edible garnish for open-faced sandwiches. Best eaten fresh, a tasty choice for lunch boxes. Sliced or cut apples stay white longer if put in a bowl of water containing two tablespoons of lemon juice. To store, keep apples as cold as possible in the refrigerator. Red Delicious apples are excellent keepers.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Very particular apple fans, the British divide apples clearly into cooking and eating varieties. Other countries around the world are not quite so rigid about the apple's culinary distinction. Quite strict when it comes to the taste of apples, the British now accept imported Red and Golden Delicious, but their favorite is the Cox apple.
Geography/History
In 1872, on Jess Hiatt's farm in Peru, Iowa, the Red Delicious apple had its beginning as a chance seedling and was first commercially marketed as "Hiatt's Hawkeye" in 1874. When Stark Brothers, a large fruit company, bought out Hiatt it was appropriately renamed as a variety called Delicious. The leading American apple since the 1940s, Washington State apple growers have been producing the world's best Red Delicious apples since the 1920s. Only able to grow by grafting or budding, this apple tree does not grow from seeds and is harvested depending on the region. Harvest usually begins about 148 days after full bloom. Growers consider this apple to be the standard variety that determines when other apples are ready for harvest. Red Delicious apples are locally grown at Julian, California.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Red Delicious Apples. One
is easiest, three is harder.
