APPLE GUIDE We hesitate to label apples as best for cooking or eating. Instead we suggest you visit our market and do your own tasting and select accordingly.

Generally apples vary in flavor depending on their acid content. The more acid in the apple, the tarter it tastes and the better it will maintain its character when cooked. This is why Jonathan, a highly acidic apple, makes a firm pie, and why Red and Yellow Delicious apples, which are low in acid, are not as often used in cooking.

The later in the year an apple matures, the longer it will keep in storage. Apples keep best when refrigerated at 34 degrees (apples ripen 8 to 10 times faster at room temperature). Store in a ventilated plastic bag sprinkled with water or hydrator drawer· to prevent absorbing other food flavors or dehydrating. Handle with care, apples are more fragile than eggs.

In the following, we have listed the varieties grown at our orchard and have tried to include a description of the features which we hope you will find helpful. Since the ripening of the fruit is subject to seasonal variation, precise dates for picking are not possible-dates listed below could be advanced· or delayed up to 15 days.

Aug. 15 Jersey Mac - A McIntosh-type apple which, like the Mcintosh, is moderately acidic, juicy, and aromatic.

Aug. 20 Tydeman's Red - another offspring of the Mclntosh, although its flesh is firmer and milder in taste, Tydeman's Red store for about one month.

Aug. 20 Paulared - A bright, solid red apple. The Paulared is firm and juicy with a mildly tart flavor.

Aug. 20 Ginger Gold - Golden Delicious and Pippin cross. Sweet but mildly tart. Excellent for eating or baking

Aug. 25 Mollies Delicious - a large, uniquely shaped apple, blushed red over a yellow background. Mollies have a thin skin and a very crisp, snappy flesh. A distinctive sweet flavor.

Sept. 10 McIntosh - An old time favorite, the McIntosh has a tart, spicy flavor and a tender skin. Its uses are many and it will store for several months.

Sept. 15 Cortland - (A relative of the McIntosh, its other· parent is Ben Davis.) This is a large, handsome apple with dark red skin. Its flesh is very crisp, pure white, and resists browning when cut. The flavor is tart and tangy. Our customers seek out this apple for the rosy sauce it makes when its skin is included in the cooking.

Sept. 15 Honeycrisp - A sweet, very crisp excellent eating apple as well as an excellent keeper.

Sept. 20 Jonathan - Another well-known apple, the Jonathan is small with a characteristic russetting around the stem. lt has firm, juicy flesh, and a sprightly flavor.

Sept. 25 Red Delicious - One of the most widely grown apples in the world. It is sweet and mildly flavored with a thick skin that resists bruising.

Sept. 25 Empire - A cross of Mcintosh and Red Delicious. Firm and crisp, both sweet and moderately tart; the Empire is one of our favorites.

Sept. 30 Gala - Gala apples are fairly resistant to bruising and are sweet, grainy, with a mild flavor and a thinner skin than most apples.

Oct. 1 Golden Delicious - This widely grown apple has a soft skin, which bruises easily and is often russeted, Its flavor is mild, sweet. and distinctive.

Oct. 5 Rome Beauty - A large, crisp, dark red apple which resists bruising and stores well. Although somewhat bland in flavor, it is said to be excellent for baking.

Oct. 5 Melrose - This Jonathan, Red Delicious cross, developed at Ohio State University in the 1940's, is the official Ohio State apple. It is large, with yellow-green skin flushed with red and dappled with russet. It is firm, crisp, and juicy. Our customers choose this apple for eating after Christmas when it develops a fruity aroma.

Oct. 15 Idared - A Jonathan cross, this bright red apple is thin skinned, with an aromatic, moderately tart flavor which, like Melrose and Winesap, is said to improve during storage. An excellent keeper.

Oct. 20 Firmgold - This strain of Golden Delicious is another favorite. Its flesh is very firm and is more resistant to bruising. The Firmgold will store as well as the Idared.

Oct. 25 Stayman Winesap - A purplish fruit with firm, yellow flesh. This apple is well known for its spicy, wine-like flavor and aroma.

APPLES are:

  • about 80 calories, for a medium size apple

  • a natural source of PECTIN, which has been found to help lower blood cholesterol

  • a primary source of quick energy from natural fruit sugars

  • a natural "toothbrush" to cleanse breath and teeth as well as massage the gums

ONE POUND (approximately):

    2 cups sliced

  • 4 small apples

  • 3 medium apples

  • 2 large apples

PECK:

  • 10-12 pounds

  • 30 medium apples

  • 4-5 quarts of sauce

  • 4-5 9" pies