Produce recently spotted at The Market
Produce Briefs...
Roselle Flowers
Roselle may be used raw, dried or juiced. The fruit's tart flavor requires a sweetener of some kind, and it is successfully used like a cranberry in recipes for jam, jelly, chutney and even wine.
Barrel Cactus Fruit
The fruit of the Barrel cactus is best prepared in sweet applications, since its natural tartness lends itself well to a hint of sugar. Cook the fruit down with agave syrup to make a jam, jelly or a sweet and sour chutney.
Description/Taste
Although the Crimson Gold is a Crab apple hybrid, it is larger than most crab apple varieties and good quality fruits will actually be almost twice the size of crab apples. The shape of the fruit is rounded and oblate. Its coloring is almost solid red when mature, with tones of ruby and blush and just a hint of yellow around its stem end. Thus, the name Crimson Gold can be misleading if one is looking for a true golden apple. The fruit's cream colored flesh is firm, succulent and crisp. Its flavors, robust and both sweet and tart.
Seasons/Availability
Crimson Gold apples are available during fall and winter months.
Current Facts
The Crimson Gold is a cross between two heirloom apple varieties, the Yellow Newtown apple and an Esopus Spitzenburg. The Crimson Gold is unique to the general market as one will rarely find it alongside the eleven ubiquitous varieties that make up 90 percent of the apples found in grocery stores almost year round. The Crimson Gold, like thousands of other varieties of apples, is slowly becoming irrelevant. Modern pomologists (fruit breeders) breed apples for consistency in appearance, shelf-life, global shipping capabilities, flavor and texture. Crimson Gold apples may have little commercial exposure, but thanks to their Newtown apple heritage, they are cultivated and harvested as a processing apple for the production of apple cider.
Applications
Although Crimson Gold apples are a great fresh-eating apple, some of the fruit's best culinary attributes are tested with time and heat. The Crimson Gold retains its textural integrity when baked or poached, much like a cling peach. It has been classified as a superior dessert and cider apple. Crimson Gold apple's robust and bright flavors pair well with the richness of smoked fish, bacon, sausages, charcuterie, aged cheeses, creme fraiche and buttermilk. Other savory pairings include celery, dill, garlic, rosemary, shallots, sweet and bitter greens and vinegar. Quintessential dessert companion ingredients include brown sugar, caramel, cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg, nuts, especially almonds, walnuts and pistachios, pears, rum, red wine and vanilla.
Geography/History
The Crimson Gold apple is the last of dozens of American apple varieties developed by fruit breeder, Albert Etter. Etter was fascinated with crab apples and chose to hybridize an entire class of apples specifically from crab parentage. The difference, though, is that, unlike crab apples, these apples would lack astringency, rather display a blend of both high acid and high sugar content. The Crimson Gold, originally named by Etter, Little Rosybloom, was introduced to the public in 1944. Etter died in 1950, before the fruit's patent paperwork was finalized. The Crimson Gold orchards were under ownership of the California Nursery Company and somehow trees were being mislabeled, grown and distributed as Wickson apples (another crab apple variety). It wasn't until the late 1970's that a single limb of a multi-grafted test tree was identified as Crimson Gold and the variety was saved from near extinction. Crimson Gold apples still remain an unpatented variety.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Crimson Gold Apples. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Barbara Cooks |
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Crimson Gold Mini Apple Pie Bites |
| Barbara Cooks |
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Roasted Crimson Gold Apples with Fennel & Prosciutto |
| Recipe Renovator |
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Dutch Apple Mini Cakes with Boiled Cider Syrup |
