THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510050064
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
APPLES ARE natural partners to cheese and nuts; the triumvirate offers a welcome change of pace from the usual sweets to close a meal.
Try apples with a ripe Camembert and walnuts; dry Jack cheese and pistachios; Cheddar and peanuts; aged Gouda and roasted chestnuts.
Here are some other apple tips from the Virginia Apple Growers Association Inc. and the Washington State Apple Commission:
Deep-green background color often indicates immature fruit.
Skins should be smooth and bruise-free.
``Freckles'' on a golden Delicious indicate ripeness - and good eating.
Smaller apples keep longer; so do refrigerated apples. Keep apples as cold as possible without freezing. Cool, dark places best retain apples' qualities.
Store in a ventilated plastic bag or hydrator drawer to keep apples from absorbing other food flavors.
To keep cut apples from browning, toss with lemon, orange or grapefruit juice, or dip them in a quart of cold water mixed with 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
To make applesauce in a flash, combine chunks of eating apples (peeled or not) with a little orange juice, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste in a blender. Process to the desired texture.
To make apple chips, place peeled, cored and quartered apples (try Granny Smiths, thinly sliced) on a baking pan. Place on the middle rack of a 250-degree oven and bake until the chips are dry and crisp, about 25 minutes. Store in plastic bags.
Three medium apples equal 1 pound, or 3 cups diced. MEMO: Flavor editor Pat Dooley contributed to this story by Tom Sietsema of
the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
by CNB