ALong with the carrots I packed an apple today. The last time I went to buy apples my favorites, the Galas, were looking a little past their prime so I decided to go with the Rome apples instead.
Big mistake.
The skin is very stiff plasticky and the inside of the fruit is on the mushy pulpy side. And the apple has this odd grassy aftertaste.
Now, I’ve had this particular apple in the fridge for several days but I don’t think the blame can be laid entirely on the age. The first couple of apples out of the lot I bought were pretty much the same.
I’m not even going to finish it.
Bad luck for produce for me today, I tell you what.
Most people use Rome apples for baking and cooking, and they’re great for that purpose. It’s odd that yours was mushy pulpy, though. Ordinarily, their pulp is very firm.
Otto, your beginning to sound like a descendent from Mr. Ed., but better than your average typewriting horse. How do you get your hooves on the right keys?
Apples are in season during late summer and autumn OK, fall for you northern hemisphere types). Apples available the rest of the year are picked during autumn and kept in cold or controlled atmosphere storage. The apples you bought were probably last year’s stored apples, and that’s likely why the mushy texture and odd taste.
Apples are often sprayed with wax, to improve their appearance I suppose, and to slow the ripening process, which might account for the skin texture.
You might want to try organic shops or look for “new season” apples. If you buy them from bins in the supermarket you’re probably getting last year’s apples.
McIntosh? Ewwwwww! Maybe I’ve only had freak McIntosh apples, but every one I’ve ever had has been bland and had a horrible mealy/mushy texture. :: barfs ::
Yes, but unless you look for apples labelled “new season”, you’re more likely to be finishing up last year’s stock than getting fresh apples. The US may well be different, but in Australia you have to look for new seasons apples … otherwise the supermarkets will just try and sell the old apples because it does nobody any good having apples left to rot in a cool store.
Of course, some apples are just unpleasant, I hate Red Delicicious because they seem to have all the texture and flavour of damp cotton wool.
Since we’re on the subject of apples, do they still sell Winesaps in supermarkets? I live in Washington State and, outside of a few small orchards and roadside fruit stands, I haven’t seen any Winesaps sold for the last few years. It seems Winesaps are destined to join Northern Spies and Gravensteins on the list of apples that used to be common but are now disappearing from produce sections across the country.
As you might guess, I like Winesaps (and Northern Spies).
The grocery stores around here (North Shore of Massachusetts) mostly stock McIntosh, Cortland, Red and Yellow Delicious, lately Fuji, and Granny Smith apples. But there’s a local orchard that grows 14 different varieties of apples, as well as many other fruits and vegetables, for pick-your-own or purchase in the handsome old barn they use for their store.
They also make unbelievably good cider doughnuts, which you can buy hot from the doughnut machine. I generally buy a bag of a half-dozen, and wind up with one or two left by the time I make it to the checkout.
