My main problem with red apples is that they are almost always ‘mealy’ inside. Whenever I bite into one (because you don’t know for sure that you’ve gotten a bad one until you bite in) and find it to be this way, I usually end up throwing it away directly.
The consistency really bothers me even though I like the taste, and this is the reason I often end up eating green apples instead (i.e. granny smith) even though they’re quite sour and not nearly as satisfying. Before I left the states in November, my mom introduced me to an amazing apple – the Honeycrisp. It’s a hybrid of the Honeygold (a yellow apple) and the Macoun (which the Honeycrisp gets its good looks from but suffers the same fate as all red apples in terms of consistency). The Honeycrisp is really amazing because it is a two-toned red apple that has the consistency of a green apple, but is amazingly sweet and juicy. I haven’t been able to find anything that remotely resembles the Honeycrisp. That is, up until now (you can read more about the incredible Honeycrisp by following this link).
While at the city grocery store yesterday (aptly named Foodtown), Ayu and I decided to try some of New Zealand’s native fruit. We ended up with a couple of tomatoes, a basket of kiwi fruit, and a bag of New Zealand Beauty (an apple that looks amazingly similar to the Honeycrisp). I wasn’t about to get my hopes up, and then be horribly let down the way red apples had been letting me down all my life, so I contained my excitement. However, when we got back to the hostel and I took the first bite, I was quite honestly flabbergasted (a word I’m bringing back). It was amazingly similar to the Honeycrisp that I couldn’t get enough of when I was at home. Even more amazing is that NZ Beauty is a hybrid of two completely different apples: the Gala and Splendour (both native to New Zealand).
You may say “So what? It’s just an apple!” But remember that for the next 6 months Ayu and I are going to be traveling around in a van with a fridge, a gas burner, and possibly (if I have my way) a charcoal grill, so the fact that we can pick up these delicious beauties (no pun intended) all over NZ is really quite a find. The only downside is that the NZ Beauty harvest season only lasts through February and are only available in stores through March.
So like a bear preparing for hibernation I’m going to be eating them like crazy this month. Applesauce may end up coming out of my ears, but it will be well worth it!
The consistency really bothers me even though I like the taste, and this is the reason I often end up eating green apples instead (i.e. granny smith) even though they’re quite sour and not nearly as satisfying. Before I left the states in November, my mom introduced me to an amazing apple – the Honeycrisp. It’s a hybrid of the Honeygold (a yellow apple) and the Macoun (which the Honeycrisp gets its good looks from but suffers the same fate as all red apples in terms of consistency). The Honeycrisp is really amazing because it is a two-toned red apple that has the consistency of a green apple, but is amazingly sweet and juicy. I haven’t been able to find anything that remotely resembles the Honeycrisp. That is, up until now (you can read more about the incredible Honeycrisp by following this link).
While at the city grocery store yesterday (aptly named Foodtown), Ayu and I decided to try some of New Zealand’s native fruit. We ended up with a couple of tomatoes, a basket of kiwi fruit, and a bag of New Zealand Beauty (an apple that looks amazingly similar to the Honeycrisp). I wasn’t about to get my hopes up, and then be horribly let down the way red apples had been letting me down all my life, so I contained my excitement. However, when we got back to the hostel and I took the first bite, I was quite honestly flabbergasted (a word I’m bringing back). It was amazingly similar to the Honeycrisp that I couldn’t get enough of when I was at home. Even more amazing is that NZ Beauty is a hybrid of two completely different apples: the Gala and Splendour (both native to New Zealand).
You may say “So what? It’s just an apple!” But remember that for the next 6 months Ayu and I are going to be traveling around in a van with a fridge, a gas burner, and possibly (if I have my way) a charcoal grill, so the fact that we can pick up these delicious beauties (no pun intended) all over NZ is really quite a find. The only downside is that the NZ Beauty harvest season only lasts through February and are only available in stores through March.
So like a bear preparing for hibernation I’m going to be eating them like crazy this month. Applesauce may end up coming out of my ears, but it will be well worth it!
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