In the kitchen
How to store Apple
For most apple varieties, the ripening process is all about the conversion of starch to sugar; they get sweeter up to a point, but then the textures worsens and they lose moisture becoming soft and wooly.
Store at room temperature if you’ll be eating them within 2-3 days, for the best flavour. If you need them to last longer, keep them in the fridge. Wash well, then chop or slice,
Easy ideas
1. Salad
Raw apple will always add a nice sharp, crisp addition to a salad. Slice them, dice them or cut into neat matchsticks or wedges, the shape is up to you. Try a simple salad of fennel, apple and hazelnuts with a sharp lemony dressing, or some boiled beetroots, apple and diced celery dressed with soured cream and dill. They will be at home in an eclectic slaw and even as part of a celeriac remoulade.
2. Pudding
Stewed or baked, an apple will soften and sweeten in a relatively short time. Apple crumble is the obvious example, diced and thrown with a little sugar and warming spice. A baked apple is an often overlooked classic; core your apples and stuff the void with a mix of sultanas, oats, honey and spice. Top with a little butter and a sprinkle of sugar, bake for about 20 mins at 180˚C/Gas 4. A French tarte tatin is the apex of apple puddings, a deceptively simple looking tart requiring meticulous method; the internet is abound with recipes and comment on the subject.
3. Savoury
Apples are a perfect partner with pork or duck as the sharpness cuts through the fat. Serve them as a stewed apple sauce with a few flecks of thyme or slice thickly and bake them beneath your roasting joint. They complement a strong salty cheddar; on a cheese board, in a toastie or sometimes in a pie, as is the tradition up North. Don’t overlook their value in a simple soup; used sparingly they add something to a celery, beetroot, cauliflower or squash soup, amongst others.
Apple recipes
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Sausage, borlotti and apple casserole with spring greens
Serves: 2 Total time: 35 min
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Rice pudding with roast apple compote and boozy prunes
Serves: 4 Total time: 2h 45 min
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Carrot, apple and ginger juice
Serves: 1 Total time: 5 min
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Sarah Pope's apple tart
Serves: 4 Total time: 50 min
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Swede, leek and apple bake
Serves: 4 Total time: 1h 25 min
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Kohlrabi, apple and pastrami salad
Serves: 4 Total time: 10 min
In the field
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Meet the grower: Paul Ward , Cranbrook, Kent
Paul Ward runs Mole End Farm in Kent - he’s committed to proving that the results of organic farming can be just as good (and better!) than conventionally farmed fruit.
UK seasonality
Apple varieties
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Pinova apples
Pinova apples are a German variety which are juicy and crisp, with a sweet, fragrant flavour and satisfyingly tangy finish.
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Gala apples
One of the most reliably sweet and pleasant varieties. Crisp and juicy, with a subtly aromatic flavour.
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Kanzi apples
A natural Gala/Braeburn cross, Kanzi apples are very crunchy and full of juice, with a unique, refreshing sweet-sharp flavour.