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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Author profiles abundance of apple varieties

The Columbian
Published:

Do people keep life lists of the apples that fall into their lives, akin to the records birders maintain? I’m thinking of starting one, based on my time spent with Rowan Jacobsen’s just-released “Apples of Uncommon Character: 123 Heirlooms, Modern Classics, & Little-Known Wonders” (Bloomsbury; $35).

The James Beard Award-winning author is equally comfortable writing about foodstuffs and the environment, with titles to his credit that include “Fruitless Fall” and “American Terroir.” But it might be his passion for autumn’s signature fruit that drew me into his newest work. He has grown apples in Vermont for the past decade and is clearly well-versed in provenance and varietal distinctions.

“I am amazed at the variety in the apple world,” he said in an interview, recalling the research that led him to a single USDA orchard in Geneva, N.Y., with 2,000 kinds. “It’s crazy, inventive, creative genius — almost like the Robin Williams of fruit.”

America had some 7,000 varieties in the 1700s and 1800s, many grown on self-sufficient farms, Jacobsen says. Modern markets didn’t want to deal with the distribution hassles of small growers, and once huge orchards were established in Washington, which now produces more than half of the apples grown in the United States, the relatively trouble-free Red Delicious became the major player sent to supermarket apple bins.

Trouble is, Red Delicious looks a lot better than it tastes.

“Consumers really responded to the deep red color,” even though the flesh of that apple has small, dry cells that don’t exactly burst with juice, Jacobsen says. The word “mealy” comes to mind. That’s one reason the public has found a recent antidote in the juicy Honeycrisp.

The author could have produced a more encyclopedic volume, not unlike the ones that seem to land with a thud each year on reviewers’ desks. So I appreciate the way Jacobsen edited individual descriptions: just long enough to pique my interest, with spot-on flavor and aroma profiles. The Roxbury Russet is no poster child, with a drab, matte skin similar to that of an Asian pear. But I am curious about its spicy notes. Sweet and compact, the Pixie Crunch is a sleeper among the 123 types in the book: the perfect kid size, comparable to what marketers were going for in 2012 with the branded clementines called Cuties.

What Jacobsen did not skimp on are the full-bleed pictures, shot by Seattle photographer Clare Barboza. The author spent weeks driving around the country, he says, building a collection of 600 to 700 samples he would transport home via “the biggest coolers in the back of my Subaru.”

The book ends on a high note, for me, in the form of savory and sweet recipes. They are simple, and almost none call for peeling; that’s Jacobsen’s preference. The skins add a nice textural element in an apple-and-lime tart. Even his maple applesauce, with its recommended mix of tender, thin-skinned apples such as Gravenstein, Cortland, Yellow Transparents and Golden Delicious, plus a touch of spice and butter, proved a small revelation in the amount of body a smooth puree can contain.

Jacobsen will soon begin working with Whole Foods Markets in the Northeast to expand its heirloom apple program, he says.

Apples and Sausage in Cider, Asturian Style

4 to 6 first-course servings.

Dry cider is the traditional drink of Asturias, a coastal province of northern Spain, where it is often served or cooked with chorizo or other kinds of sausage.

For this recipe, use a crisp, sweet apple like Gala or GoldRush; Granny Smith, in a pinch; or these heirloom apples if you can find them: Belle de Boskoop, Bramley’s Seedling, Ashmead’s Kernel or Ananas Reinette.

The original recipe did call for chorizo (fresh or cured/dried); feel free to substitute.

1 pound lamb merguez sausage (casings on or off; see headnote)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ onion, cut into very thin slices

1 cup dry (hard) apple cider

1 or 2 apples, cored and sliced into half-moons (see headnote)

Kosher salt (optional)

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Thin, toasted slices of baguette or ciabatta, for serving

Cut the merguez sausage into 1-inch pieces, then use the palm of your hand to flatten each piece.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the sausage; cook, stirring, until the sausage has browned and is releasing some of its juices and fat, about 5 minutes. Pour off all but a tablespoon or two of the rendered fat, if desired.

Add the onion and cider; cook for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onion has softened. Add the apple slices and stir to incorporate. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice; some of the liquid will evaporate, slightly thickening the cider sauce. Taste, and add salt if needed.

Divide among individual small bowls. Garnish with the parsley. Serve warm, with the toasted bread slices.

Maple Applesauce

4 to 6 servings (makes about 2 1/2 cups).

Skip peeling or a food mill. This skin-on version has a little more going for it in terms of texture and flavor. The recipe is flexible; scale up or down as needed.

Use a mix of tender, thin-skinned apples such as Gravenstein, York and Golden Delicious. Other applesauce-worthy varieties: Cortland, Snow and Yellow Transparent.

Serve with roasted chicken or potato pancakes, or over ice cream for dessert.

MAKE AHEAD: The applesauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Adapted from “Apples of Uncommon Character: 123 Heirlooms, Modern Classics and Little-Known Wonders,” by Rowan Jacobsen (Bloomsbury, 2014).

About 6 medium apples, cored and cut into quarters (see headnote)

1 cup sweet cider or water, or more as needed (may substitute lemonade)

Drizzle of good-quality maple syrup, or more as needed

Small pinch ground cayenne pepper or Aleppo pepper, or more as needed

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine the apples and cider or water in a heavy-bottomed pot; cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and pepper; cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are mushy.

Stir in the butter until it has melted, then use an immersion (stick) blender to puree until fairly smooth (or carefully transfer to a food processor and puree). Taste, and add maple syrup or pepper as needed. Serve warm or cold.

Per serving (based on 6): 140 calories, 0 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 21 g sugar

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