September 23, 2014 - Radio Kitchen - Apples for Pie
September is Apple Month in Maryland, and we have more selections in the market than ever before. What I love is seeing new varieties come into the market, and I have a little tradition I do every few years involving new breeds of apples...I test them to see which makes the best pie!
My technique works like this. Peel and trim the apples, then cut into quarters lengthwise. Cut 5 or 6 slices from each quarter. Save the slices in a bowl, and be sure to collect their juice. Prepare a mixture of white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and corn starch. Heat a skillet just hot enough to melt butter.
Put the apple slices in the skillet and cook gently. Add about a tablespoon or two of lemon juice. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples and cook until the apples just turn tender, maybe 3 minutes. Scrape the apples and all the sauce from the skillet into your pie crust. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 325 oven.
I treated all the apples in an identical manner, and baked small little pies. Here are the results:
#1 Zestar A little tart, in the best sense. Persistent flavor, led by good acidity. The apple seems like a vehicle for the sugar in the pie mix, rather than a source of sweetness in its own right. The slices retained their shape, but are very soft and tender. Pronounced aroma that carries through with the flavor.
Grade: 8/10
#2 Daybreak Fuji The slices are soupy, and there is no leading character in the flavor. Low acidity, no tartness, but good natural sugar flavors. Very little aroma. Acceptable, but it makes no statement. Flavors are overwhelmed by the crust. Better as an eating apple.
Grade: 6/10
#3 Ginger Golden Darker color, a sort of pinkish tan. Good aroma. Great flavor but it is total mush. Great natural sugars, great cutting tartness. Intense flavor stands up to the crust. If not for the poor texture, it would be near perfect. Might be great for apple breads or apple cake. Apple pudding? Had I not cooked the apples before hand, it would have gotten a 9/10 grade.
Grade: 7/10
#4 John-a-mac Fairly nondescript as an eating apple. Not much aroma. It's very tart without a whole lot of corresponding sweetness. Also it is fairly mushy, but intense enough to stand up to the crust. For those who like a good tart apple, this would be a good choice.
Grade: 5/10
My conclusion is that you could make a very nice pie with the Zestar and the Ginger Gold, particularly if you didn't pre-cook the Ginger Gold. I'm going to try it.
