Fuji, a relatively sweet variety, was developed in the 1930 at Tohoku Research Station in Fujisaki, Japan, as a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet.
Gala is a cross between Golden Delicious and Kidd’s Orange Red, planted in New Zealand in the 1930s. A bit crisper than Fuji, Gala is now America’s most popular apple variety.
Red Delicious is a well-known sweet crisp apple. By the 1980s, it accounted for more than half of all U.S. apples, but it was recently overtaken by Gala.
Golden Delicious is relatively sweet, and despite its name is not related to Red Delicious. It was discovered in Clay County, West Virginia, in 1912 and is thought to have grown from a chance seedling as a hybrid of Grimes Golden and English Pippin.
Jonagold is a cross between the relatively tart Jonathan and the relatively sweet Golden Delicious, developed in 1953 at the New York Ag Station.
Monroe is a cross between Jonathan and Rome developed by Richard Wellington in 1910, and named for Monroe County, New York.
Melrose, a cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious, is the official state apple of Ohio.
Ida Red was developed in 1942 in Idaho, hence its name. It is a cross between Jonathan and Wagener.
Red Rome first grown in the early 19th century in Rome Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, is bright red and unusually firm.
Northern Spy is tart and firm, so suitable for pies and tarts if you want the apple to hold its shape. I used Northern Spy in last week’s tart recipe.
The favorites at Adult Day Services surprised me. Rather than the most popular or sweetest varieties, they preferred Big Bronze (the tartest of the 13) and two in the middle of the sweetness spectrum—Jonagold and Stayman Winesap.
Jonathan is a tart apple, named for Jonathan Zander, who is credited with discovering the apple in 1826 on Philip Rick’s Woodstock, New York, farm. Stayman Winesap was developed in 1866 by Joseph Stayman in Leavenworth, Kansas.
The third favorite, Big Bronze, isn’t included in an internet list of 1,500 varieties. So I asked Scott Downing about it. Turns out he invented Big Bronze. It’s a cross between Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.
For a quick apple dessert, combine in a small microwave-safe bowl, 2 tablespoons each ground almonds and ground coconut, 1 tablespoon each tapioca flour and sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each ground chocolate, cinnamon, and almond flour, and 1/4 teaspoons each baking powder, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
Add 1/2 teaspoon oil, 1/2 tablespoon milk, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Finely dice 1 small apple, mix thoroughly, and microwave for 3 minutes.
MOON Co-op is 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. Go online to www.mooncoop.coop.
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