I recently took five varieties of local apples for folks to sample at Oxford’s Community Adult Day Services. Scott Downing of Downing Fruit Farm selected them from among the 75 varieties at his farm.
The folks at Community Adult Day Services had strong preferences. Their favorite was Golden Delicious, a relatively popular well-known variety. Its attraction was easy to identify – crisp and sweet, yet mild.
Also relatively appealing was Melrose, also relatively crisp and sweet, though a bit more acidic than Golden Delicious. Melrose is Downing’s personal favorite.
Melrose is a cultivar developed in the 1940s at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. As a result, it is regarded as Ohio’s official state apple.
Less appealing were the other three apples that we sampled at Community Adult Day Services — McIntosh, Jonathan and Cortland. All three were found to be rather soft. McIntosh and Jonathan were a bit too tart for eating, and Cortland was a bit too bland.
McIntosh is best suited for making cider. Downing makes sure that every batch of his cider includes some McIntosh.
I also recently sampled three varieties at MOON Co-op from local grower Charles Geraci. Winesap, one of the oldest heirlooms in the United States, is mouth-puckering tart and almost rock-hard. It was one of the most popular varieties in the nineteenth century, a basis for making cider.
Mr. Geraci’s other two varieties are much sweeter and more suitable for eating. One carries the familiar but imprecise name Red Delicious, and the other is simply labeled Yellow.
Red Delicious was once the most popular apple in the United States, but gained a bad reputation. “The Awful Reign of the Red Delicious,” by Sarah Yager in The Atlantic magazine, documented how Red Delicious became the dominant apple in Washington State because it could be bred for its beauty and storage ability, rather than for its taste and nutritional value.
I strongly suspect that Mr. Geraci’s “Red Delicious” variety bears little resemblance to the unfortunate breeding practices in Washington State. A locally grown apple that tastes crisp and sweet is a treat regardless of its label or color.
The tart and soft apples are suitable for baking. For a quick dessert, place 1 finely diced apple in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons each ground almonds and ground coconut; 1 tablespoon each tapioca and sugar; 1/2 teaspoon each ground chocolate, cinnamon, and almond flour; 1/4 teaspoons each baking powder, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1egg; 1/2 teaspoon melted coconut oil; and 1/2 tablespoon milk. Microwave for 2 minutes.
Local apples are at MOON Co-op, Oxford’s consumer-owned full-service grocery, featuring natural, local, organic, sustainable, and Earth-friendly products. The store, located at 516 S. Locust St. in Oxford, is open to the public every day. See it online at mooncoop.coop
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