Fall Picking

by Danielle @ Itsaharleyyylife on October 3, 2012

On Monday Eric and I headed out the door for a cute little fall date.
What do you think it could be? Apple Picking!

This was the first time either of us were ever apple picking and you could probably tell that because we didn’t know what to do. haha {aka we didn’t bring a bag/box to put the apples in and we tried to pay before picking the apples… whoops}

There were soooooo many different kinds. I haven’t even heard of half of them before this trip. So lets go over some of the ones we did pick! (:

Red Delicious:
Usage: Excellent for eating fresh & salads; poor for baking.
Selection: A good-quality Red Delicious apple will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have a rich red color that is sometimes streaked lightly with yellow or with a yellow cheek. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Gold Delicious:
Usage:The Golden Delicious apple is excellent for eating fresh, pies & salads; Very good for baking, making apple sauce or apple butter.
Selection: A Good-quality Golden Delicious apple will be firm with smooth, clean skin and range in color from light green to pale or creamy yellow. Less mature product will be light green and have a somewhat tart flavor. More mature goldens will have a clear yellow color and will be sweeter. Some goldens may have a wash of pink color or blush across the “shoulders,” the result of warm sunny days and cool nights. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.
Fuji
Usage:Excellent for eating fresh & salads; Good for pies & sauce.
Selection:A good-quality Fuji apple will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The coloring is usually yellow-green with red highlights, but will sometimes have either a pinkish blush or be nearly all red. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Rome:
Usage: The best apple for baking and cooking, but also good eaten fresh & in salads.
Selection: A good-quality Rome apple will be firm with smooth and clean skin. The coloring is a brilliant and almost solid shade of red with white lenticels – natural tiny white dots that allow the apple to “breathe”. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

The Fortune apple is sprightly with a slightly spicy flavor. It is a cross between a Red Spy and Empire apple.
What’s It Like? Crsip with a spicy flavor
Best Uses: Excellent for pies and sauce. Good for fresh eating
Special Hint: Combine Fortune apples with a sweet apple such as Golden Delicious for tasty applesauce.

Stayman is a medium-sized, roundish-conic apple with a thick greenish-yellow skin covered almost entirely with a deep red blush, darker red stripes and russet dots. The stem cavity often shows heavy russetting. Firm, tender, finely-textured juicy, crisp yellowish-green flesh is tart and spicy. Staymans keep very well. They are used primarily as a dessert apple, but also make a fine addition to blended cider.