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Produce Briefs...
Ramps
The wild ramp, AKA wild leek, botanical name Allium tricoccum, is a flowering perennial plant that grows in clusters. It is a member of the Allium family along with onions and leeks
Calamondin Limes
The Calamondin lime is a cross between a sour, loose skinned mandarin and a kumquat, therefore technically making it an orangequat.
Salanova® Lettuces
Salanova® lettuce is a full-sized variety developed for the baby lettuce market. Botanically these varieties are scientifically known as Lactuca sativa.
Description/Taste
Shinano Gold apples are moderately sized, round to conical fruits with a uniform appearance. The skin is smooth, resistant to bruising, and firm, ripening from pale green to golden-yellow when mature, and is sometimes covered in small, brown spots. Underneath the surface, the flesh is fine-grained, aqueous, yellow, and crisp, encasing a central core filled with small, black-brown seeds. Shinano Gold apples are crunchy and have a robust, tropical aroma when sliced. The fruits are also known for their balanced, sweet-tart flavor and have low acidity with notes of citrus, honey, pineapple, and pear.
Seasons/Availability
Shinano Gold apples are available in the fall through winter in Japan.
Current Facts
Shinano Gold apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a modern Japanese variety that belongs to the Rosaceae family. This cultivar is a cross between a golden delicious and a senshu, an older Japanese apple, and the name Shinano refers to an old province in Nagano, Japan, where the variety is cultivated. There are three main varieties of Shinano apples, including Shinano Gold, shinano sweet, and shinano red. Shinano Gold apples were developed to expand the yellow apple market and are an improved variety of the golden delicious apple. The bright yellow variety is highly favored in Japan as a dessert cultivar, but it has also seen commercial success in Italy, where it is valued for its balanced flavor, extended storage capabilities, and unique coloring.
Nutritional Value
Shinano Gold apples are an excellent source of fiber, which can help stimulate digestion. The apples also contain vitamin C, which is an antioxidant to boost the immune system and provide smaller amounts of potassium, calcium, and iron.
Applications
Shinano Gold apples are best suited for raw applications as their tropical aroma, and sweet, tangy flavor is showcased when consumed fresh, out-of-hand. The apples can be quartered and served with dips, cheeses, and nuts on appetizer plates, sliced and stirred into oatmeal, cereal, and yogurt, or chopped and tossed into green and fruit salads. Shinano Gold apples can also be baked into cakes, tarts, muffins, and strudels for a sweet flavor or blended into soups. Shinano Gold apples pair well with cheeses such as blue, gorgonzola, and parmesan, ginger, curry, vanilla, and nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pistachios. The fresh apples will keep 1-4 weeks when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place such as the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Shinano Gold apples were introduced to commercial markets in Europe in 2005 under the name Yello®. The variety is primarily grown in South Tyrol, which is a province in Italy known for its apple production and was first released to European markets in 2015. Shinano Gold apples were renamed and trademarked to Yello® to highlight the apple’s unique golden hue and appeal to the European demographic. The variety is also heavily promoted as a specialty cultivar to expand the yellow apple market, and one notable feature of the fruit is the small label placed on the apple’s skin. The sticker depicts the fruit’s name in traditional Japanese writing, which is a subtle nod to the apple’s Asian origins.
Geography/History
Shinano Gold apples were bred in 1993 at the Nagano Fruit Tree Experiment Station in the Nagano prefecture in Japan. The variety was developed as an improved yellow apple cultivar, and today Shinano Gold apples are found in local markets in Japan and Europe. The variety is also being trialed in Australia and is being released in limited amounts to select commercial markets.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Shinano Gold Apples. One
is
easiest, three is harder.| The Spruce Eats |
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Apple Chutney |
| Zen and Spice |
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Fennel Apple Salad with Walnuts |
| For The Love of Cooking |
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Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney |
