A visit to an apple orchard is a must during the crisp fall days of the Midwest. As the ruby red, blushing pink and zippy green skins of fresh apples entice you to open your wallet here are a few regionally grown apples to look for during September through October:
MacIntosh apples, a favorite in my family’s orchard, they're a soft apple, a little tart and are good for baking and great for making homemade applesauce.
Jonathon apples are tart but they're great for baking and sauces. Eat them while their fresh, they don't store as well as other apples.
Honeycrisp apples have a great bite, are nice and juicy, crunchy and sweet as their name implies. They're best for just eating and snacking try them with some brie or cheddar.
Mutsu apples are usually larger than most apples and are quite sweet this makes them an excellent choice for eating, baking and making homemade sauce.
Winesap apples are quite tart, but as a late season apple, they are store extremely well.
Braeburn apples are sweet with a tart ring, they are best for eating, but are good for baking and they also store well.
Cameo apples have a great bite and are nice and sweet. They're great for eating and baking and will keep for a few weeks.
An orchard to try if your in central Illinois:
Christ Orchard
4313 N. Texas Road, Elmwood, IL 61529
Phone: (309) 446-3324
West of Peoria, off Rt. 8 or Rt. 116
Website: http://www.christorchardonline.com/
Apples can be stored in a breathable bag in the refrigerator or another cool place for a few months. Just make sure to remove any apples that start to soften as they can cause other good apples a shorter storage time.
For something different, try this recipe from andshecookstoo.com
Bunueolos de Manzana (Spanish Apple Fritters)
It could be surmised that anything dipped in a batter and fried is a good thing. If that’s the case, then these little Spanish apple fritters are really a good thing. Plus, the apples, which marinate for several hours at room temperature and the batter, which is chilled for several hours, means they make for easy entertainment because you can deep-fry them at the last minute.
For the apples:
1 lb. apples
1 tbs. honey
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tbs brandy
2 lemons – zest and juice
Peel and slice the apples into thick slices, toss with all of the above ingredients and let them marinate at room temperature for at least four hours.
For the fritter batter:
3 eggs, separated
½ cup milk
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup flour
Reserve the egg white in a separate bowl. Mix the yolks, milk, oil, salt and flour into a thick batter and chill for several hours in the refrigerator.
To finish the fritters, whisk the reserved egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the chilled batter.
To fry the fritters, you’ll need canola or vegetable oil heated to 350 degrees. Dip the apple slices into the batter and fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Have powdered sugar on-hand for dusting the fritters as they come out of the hot oil.
Serves 6-8
-GE, 9/12/08
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