Apples: A Harvest Delight
October 11, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Miami
• 0 Comments
Apples: A Harvest Delight
There are many delicious fruits and vegetables that come into season in the late summer and fall. Carrots, cranberries, figs, garlic, grapes, leeks, parsnips, and pumpkins are just a few examples of the bounty of the late harvest periods in warm and temperate climates.
One of the most popular fruits, among Florida culinary experts in the U.S. and around the world, is the apple. Like many fruits and vegetables, year-round availability has lead people to forget that apples actually have a season, and in the Northern Hemisphere, that season is fall. Several varieties mature in summer, but fall is the traditional season for the majority of apple varieties.
Versatile and Delicious
With over 7,500 varieties of apples around the world, there is an apple flavor for any of your needs. From eating them raw to being prepared as part of a professionally cooked meal from a Florida culinary school grad to your grandma’s apple pie, the apple is one of the most versatile fruits in the world.
Apple lovers in the United States eagerly await the fall apple harvest, which leads to one of the tastiest apple products: apple cider. Each year, in late summer and early fall, the jugs of apple cider start to hit the farm stands and markets of traditional apple growing areas of the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast.
History and Diversity
Although not native to North America the apple has been one of the most popular fruits since the arrival of Europeans colonists in the 1600s. With its arrival in the fall and ability to be stored for long periods, the apple became a staple of winter diets throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The apple is probably the oldest tree to be cultivated with root stocks dating back to the time of Alexander the Great in 300 BCE.
Traditionally, apples have played an historic role in many cultures and customs around the world. In those traditions, the apple is seen as a source of wisdom, knowledge, fertility, and youth.
Old Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe
There are hundreds of recipes for apple pie, but most of them are quite similar to this one. We’ve put together an easy apple recipe so that anyone can make and enjoy this delicious harvest treat, even if you don’t have a baking degree.
Ingredients:
- 2 pie crusts (You can make your own, but for ease a pre-made crust will do just fine)
Ingredients for Fillilng:
- 5 or 6 peeled and thinly slice tart apples (Granny Smith, Braeburn, Winesap, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
Ingredients for Topping:
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation:
- Roll out crusts, if necessary. Wrap one crust in plastic wrap and chill. Line pie pan bottom with one crust, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until apples are ready
- Put apples in a large bowl with the lemon juice and toss thoroughly. Sprinkle apples with sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss until apples are thoroughly and evenly coated with the syrupy sauce that forms as you toss them
- Preheat oven to 450. Pour apples into the crust-filled pie pan and dot with butter. Place second crust on top, trim edges, and crimp edges as you like. Cut several vents in the top crust and decorate with crust cut-outs, if you like
- Mix 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon sugar and brush on crust
- Place pie pan on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until pie is well browned and bubbling inside, about 50 more minutes
- Let cool thoroughly (at least 1 hour) before cutting
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miami offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in the Miami, Florida area. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Miami for more information.
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