Apples - (Back To Fruit Info)

• Rub cut apples with lemon juice to keep slices and wedges creamy white for hours.
• Store apples in a plastic bag in the refrigerator away from strong-odored foods such as cabbage or onions to prevent flavor transfer.
• Apples are the second most important of all fruits sold in the supermarket, ranking next to bananas.
• Tens of thousands of varieties of apples are grown worldwide
• The history of apple consumption dates from Stone Age cultivation in areas we now know as Austria and Switzerland.
• In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage; catching it was acceptance
• Folk hero Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) did indeed spread the cultivation of apples in the United States. He knew enough about apples, however, so that he did not distribute seeds, because apples do not grow true from seeds. Instead, he established nurseries in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
• Three medium-sized apples weigh approximately one pound.
• One pound of apples, cored and sliced, measures about 4 1/2 cups.
• Purchase about 2 pounds of whole apples for a 9-inch pie.
• One large apple, cored and processed through a food grinder or processor, makes about 1 cup of ground apple.

AKANE

Selection: Good-quality Akane apples will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have good color for the variety. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

BRAEBURN

Selection: Good-quality Braeburn apples will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have good color for the variety. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

CRITERION

Usage: Very good for eating fresh, pies, salads & sauce.

Selection: Good-quality Criterion apples will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The Criterion has the distinctive shape of a Red Delicious, but has a bold yellow color, often with a red blush. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand.
(Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

FUJI

Usage: Excellent for eating fresh & salads; Good for pies & sauce.

Selection: Good-quality Fuji apples will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The coloring is usually yellow-green with red highlights, but will sometimes have either a pinkish blush or be nearly all red. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

GALA

Usage: Very good for eating fresh, salads & sauce; Good for pies & baking.

Selection: Good-quality Gala apples will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The coloring will usually be yellow with red stripes, but some new strains are nearly solid red. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

GOLDEN DELICIOUS

Usage: Excellent for eating fresh, pies & salads; Very good for baking & apple sauce.

Selection: Good-quality Golden Delicious apples will be firm with smooth, clean skin and range in color from light green to pale or creamy yellow. Less mature product will be light green and have a somewhat tart flavor. More mature goldens will have a clear yellow color and will be sweeter. Some goldens may have a wash of pink color or blush across the "shoulders," the result of warm sunny days and cool nights. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool. Also avoid goldens with "russeting," a bronze-colored, rough and scab-like condition principally on the stem end of the apple.

GRANNY SMITH

Usage: Very good for eating fresh, cooking & salads.

Selection: Good-quality Granny Smith apples will be firm with smooth and clean skin. Granny Smith apples are a deep green with an occasional pink blush of the cheeks. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light. These apples may be less attractive, but the flesh is still good to eat after cutting.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool. Grannies occasionally show "russeting," a brownish network at the stem end.

JONAGOLD

Usage: Very good for eating fresh, pie & salads; Good for sauce.

Selection: Good-quality Jonagold apples will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The coloring is bright red over gold. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

JONATHAN

Usage: Very good for eating fresh, cooking & salads.

Selection: Good-quality Jonathan apples will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have good color for the variety. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

MCINTOSH

Usage: Eating fresh, cooking, salads.

Selection: Good-quality McIntosh apples will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have good color for the variety. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

NEWTOWN/PIPPIN

Usage: Excellent for pies & sauce; Very good for eating fresh, baking & salads.

Selection: Good-quality Newtown Pippin apples will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The coloring is green with a slight tinge of yellow coloring. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

RED DELICIOUS

Usage: Excellent for eating fresh & salads; poor for baking.

Selection: Good-quality Red Delicious apples will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have a rich red color that is sometimes streaked lightly with yellow or with a yellow cheek. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

ROME

Usage: The best apple for baking, but also good eaten fresh & in salads.

Selection: Good-quality Rome apples will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The coloring is a brilliant and almost solid shade of red with white lenticels - natural tiny white dots that allow the apple to "breathe". Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.

Information:

Administrative Assistants, Administrative Professionals, Anniversary, Baby Shower, Baby, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Bath & Body, Bereavement, Birthday, Bridal Shower, Bridal, Canada Day, Candy Bouquet, Chanukkah, Cheese, Chinese New Year, Chocolate, Christmas, Coffee, Congratulations, Cookies, Easter, Father's Day, Flowers, Fourth of July, Fruit, Get Well, Gourmet, Graduation, Halloween, Hanukkah, Independence Day, Kwanzaa, Liquor, Mother's Day, New Home New Years, Purim, Retirement, Secretaries, Snack, Spa, St. Patrick's Day, Sympathy, Tea, Thank You, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Wedding Shower, Wedding, Wine

Gift Baskets:

Gift Baskets Canada: Amherst, Barrie, Bedford, Brandon, Burnaby, Calgary, Campbellton, Charlottetown, Coquitlam, Corner Brook, Dartmouth, Edmonton, Edmundston, Fort McMurray, Fredericton, Grand Falls-Windsor, Halifax, Hamilton, Iqaluit, Kelowna, Kingston, Kirkland, Kitchener, Labrador City, Langley, Laval, Lethbridge, London, Magog, Mississauga, Moncton, Montreal, Moose Jaw, Nelson, Niagara Falls, Oshawa, Ottawa, Prince Albert, Quebec City, Red Deer, Regina, Richmond, Sackville, Saskatoon, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, St. John's, Surrey, Toronto, Trois Rivieres, Truro, Whitehorse, Windsor, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Victoria, Yellowknife

Gift Baskets Europe: Aarhus, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Bern, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Esch-sur-Alzette, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Innsbruck, Lisbon, Luxembourg City, Madrid, Marseille, Oslo, Paris, Porto, Prague, Rome, Sligo, Sofia, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Tampere, The Hague, Thessaloniki, Tonsberg, Uppsala, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich

Gift Baskets Middle East: Egypt, Iran, Israel Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Gift Baskets New Zealand: Auckland City, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Lower Hutt, Manukau, North Shore, Tauranga, Waitakere, Wellington City

Gift Baskets Puerto Rico: Adjuntas, Arecibo, Florida, Ponce, San Juan, Santa Isabel

Gift Baskets South Africa: Bisho, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Mmabatho, Nelspruit, Pietermaritzburg, Pietersburg

Gift Baskets Southeast Asia: Bangkok, Beijing, Dhaka, Ha Noi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Nagano, New Delhi, Okinawa, Osaka, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo

Gift Baskets United Kingdom: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Portadown, Swansea

Gift Baskets United States: Akron, Albany, Albuquerque, Allentown, Anaheim, Anchorage, Annapolis, Ann Arbor, Arlington, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Augusta, GA, Augusta, ME, Aurora, Austin, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Bellevue, Billings, Biloxi, Birmingham, Bismarck, Boise, Boston, Bridgeport, Buffalo, Burlington, Cambridge, Camden, Carson City, Casper, Cedar Rapids, Chandler, Charleston, SC, Charleston, WV, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Cherry Hill, Chesapeake, Cheyenne, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Clinton, Columbia, MD, Columbia, SC, Columbus, GA, Columbus, OH, Concord, Dallas, Davenport, Dayton, Dearborn, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Dover, Duluth, Durham, East Orange, Edison, Elizabeth, El Paso, Erie, Eugene, Evanston, Evansville, Everett, Fairbanks, Fairfax, Fargo, Federal Way, Flint, Ft. Collins, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Smith, Ft. Wayne, Frankfort, Ft. Worth, Glendale, Grand Forks, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Gulfport, Hampton, Harrisburg, Hartford, Helena, Henderson, Honolulu, Houston, Huntsville, Idaho Falls, Independence, Indianapolis, Jackson, Jacksonville, Jefferson City, Jersey City, Juneau, Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO, Knoxville, Lafayette, Lakewood, CO, Lakewood, WA, Lansing, Las Vegas, Lewiston, Lexington, Lincoln, Little Rock, Livonia, Los Angeles, Las Cruces, Louisvillle, Lowell, Madison, Manchester, Marietta, Memphis, Mesa, Metairie, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Minot, Missoula, Mobile, Montgomery, Montpelier, Nampa, Naperville, Nashua, Nashville, Newark, New Bedford, New Haven, New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Norman, Oakland, Olympia, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Overland Park, Paradise, Paterson, Peoria, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pierre, Pittsburgh, Pocatello, Portland, ME, Portland, OR, Portsmouth, Providence, Quincy, Rapid City, Raleigh, Reno, Richmond, Riverside, Roanoke, Rochester, Rockford, Roswell, Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul, St. Petersburg, Salem, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Fe, Savannah, Schaumburg, Scottsdale, Seattle, Shreveport, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Spokane, Springfield, IL, Springfield, MA, Springfield, MO, Sterling Heights, Stockton, Syracuse, Tacoma, Tallahassee, Tampa, Toledo, Topeka, Trenton, Tucson, Tulsa, Tuscaloosa, Virginia Beach, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Waukegan, Westland, Wichita, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, Worcester, Yonkers

See Also "Informative Sites"