Comfort me with apples . . .
Song of Solomon 2: 4-5
JUICY, CRISP, sweet, tart. Red, gold, orange, green. Striped, mottled,
shiny, matte.
The many apples of Virginia are here, and they're just what the doctor
ordered.
Like tomatoes and peaches, there's no comparison between home-grown
apples and those that travel far to get to our markets. Sometimes we have to
settle for those long-distance, waxy, water-logged things, but not now.
Virginia apples are in prime time.
``As American as apple pie'' has true historic credibility, says Richard
Marini, professor of horticulture at Virginia Tech and apple expert
extraordinaire. ``Apples were brought here by the colonists as seeds or
trees,'' he says. ``Apples moved west with the settlers, helped by Johnny
Appleseed (John Chapman). They're a part of our history, our heritage.''
Virginia ranks sixth in the nation in apple production, behind
Washington, New York, Michigan, California and Pennsylvania. But the Virginia
Apple Growers Association claims that ``our apples are crisper, sweeter and
juicier than apples from most other apple-producing areas.''
Yessiree. Virginia apples go to 15 states and 20 countries.
We have a lot to choose from, with about 30 varieties cultivated here
and more on the way. Apples are a growing industry: More than a million new
trees have been planted in Virginia since 1992.
Most are planted near the mountains, in a wide swath from Winchester to
the North Carolina border. The northern counties are more commercial, with
apples headed for broad distribution or made into sauce, juice and other
products. In the southern counties, apples tend to be sold directly to markets.
Different varieties make for a long season, giving us home-grown apples
from mid-June to mid-November. Cool night temperatures promise firmer flesh,
redder color, better flavor and longer storage.
The three leading varieties are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and
York. Red Delicious is an old favorite in lots of ways, first introduced in
1850. It's the quintessential apple of everyone's childhood. Can't you just
picture one on your teacher's desk or in your lunch box? It's pretty and crisp,
but a bit bland. Ditto for Golden Delicious, which I like better green than
fully ripe. York, a Pennsylvania apple dating to 1830, is mellow and crisp; its
flavor improves with storage. Marini calls it ``the premiere processing
variety.''
With all the choices now, let's go for the gusto. ``No cultivated fruit
has so many delightful variations as the apple . . . each with its own unique
history and personality,'' writes Peter Hatch, director of Monticello's gardens
and grounds. ``It's our democratic fruit,'' quotes Hatch, from James Fitz, a
19th century apple expert.
Here's what's available from produce stands and you-pick farms.
The first variety to market is Rambo, an early June apple from France
popular since Colonial times, and reputed to be Johnny Appleseed's favorite.
Ginger Gold, an apple discovered in Nelson County and patented about 15 years
ago, is a good summer selection, mild and sweet.
Small-production apples may be found at farmer's stands close to the
source, such asthe Village Fruit Market on Route 250 west of Charlottesville in
Albemarle County. Owner Harold Patton buys heritage varieties from nearby
farms. He likes Lodi (Lode-eye), a tart June apple introduced in 1924 that's
gone by the first week in July.
Tim Henley, of Henley's Orchards in Crozet, says the mountains ``are
full of old trees nobody grows anymore.'' His father, Joe Henley, took a branch
from one and grafted it a few years ago and is now producing Smokehouse apples.
An informal group of wine-oriented at-home tasters pronounced it ``pear-like
with hints of honey.'' Although it wouldn't win any beauty contests - like lots
of the old apple varieties - it has the most complex and intriguing flavor.
Henley's Orchard, like other small-production farms, sells everything on
the fresh market. All the apples stay on the tree until ripe, when the sugar
content is highest. You can buy them at the farm or at nearby stands. ``More
and more people want these old apples,'' Henley adds, ``the old-fashioned ones
that taste wonderful and keep real good.''
Gravenstein dates back to the mid-1600s and is from Germany or Denmark;
it's firm at harvest in August but softens quickly. Did you know that another
old apple, Virginia's own Rawls Jennet, was bred with Red Delicious by the
Japanese to produce Fuji, now the most widely grown apple in the world? True to
its Virginia roots, Fuji is a big hit with Shenandoah Valley growers, too.
Another popular choice is Virginia Gala. It's a cross between Golden
Delicious and Cox's Orange Pippin. Gala has it all: firm, crisp, juicy, with an
excellent, mellow flavor. It keeps two months in cold storage.
This time of year, you may still find a few Wolf River apples, a
Wisconsin discovery introduced here back in 1875. It's a big apple with pale
yellow skin, good for pies and apple sauce, or with a sharp cheese. ``People
like it for sauce because it cooks down quick with no lumps,'' Patton says. He
had sold out of Ginger Gold, a late-summer apple that has lots of fans. Unlike
other summer varieties, it will stay crisp two to three months if refrigerated.
Two old favorites are widely available now: McIntosh (introduced in
1870) and Jonathan (1826). McIntosh is firm and delicious in cold weather, but
it can get mealy if picked when the weather's warm. It's a basic, reliable
apple, the kind you'd like to smear with peanut butter. Jonathan is a good
blending apple, crisp and clean but not distinctive in taste. It would be good
with a sharp cheddar or a veined cheese such as Gorgonzola or Saga.
Or try Ida Red, a cross between Jonathan and Wagener developed in Idaho
in 1942. Pleasantly tart with lemon undertones, it is a firm, crunchy apple. It
would be great for pies, its lemon tones balancing the sugar.
Stayman is just coming to market now. ``It's everyone's favorite
apple,'' says Paula Hodson, who's been at Stoney's Produce on First Colonial
Road in Virginia Beach for 10 years. ``You can do everything with it,'' she
says. Winesap is similar, a rich red apple with a tangy, winey taste.
Later in the season, after Nov. 10, Granny Smiths will be available.
Very tart when picked, the popular variety mellows in storage and keeps well.
It holds its flavor well when cooked and is great to enliven cole slaw and
lettuce salads.
Prima is a newer type, a beautiful apple with a softer, rounder taste
and a great finish, good for scalloped apples or sauce. Untasted but due out
soon are Crispin, Paulared, Braeburn, Mutsu, Grimes Golden, Empire, Northern
Spy, Black Twig and Albemarle Pippin.
And two new varieties are being tried in Nelson County by the Dickie
Brothers farm. Look for Pink Lady, a New Zealand variety, and Honey Crisp,
which should be ready for market in three years.
You can pick your own at about 35 orchards, including seven near
Winchester and six near Charlottesville. For information about times and
varieties, check the Web site www.virginiaapples.org/pick-your-own. Martin
Farm, just south of Pungo in Knott's Island, across the North Carolina line,
has Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith to pick at various
times. Call (252) 429-3564 to see what's available now.
Many of these apples are available locally. Several vendors at the
Virginia Beach Farmers Market carry Virginia mountain apples, including Ozark
Gold. Pungo stands have mountain apples and those from Martin's Farm. Stoney's
Produce on First Colonial Road in Virginia Beach carries seven types, gathered
from different farms around Charlottesville.
Today, more than 3,000 varieties of apples grow in the United States,
producing more than 280 million pounds of apples a year. It's America's fruit.
Try some.
Jo Ann
Hofheimer is a free-lance writer in Virginia Beach. 
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