Apple Crisp...

[Addie]

The nice thing about Washington apples is they are easily identified. By state law, every apple has a "Grown in Washington" on it. I used to love to go apple picking there. They prune the trees to be short, but very wide. Those trees were meant for the apple picking public. Easy picking. The trees for shipping were taller and a ladder was needed. The public was not allowed in that orchard.

 

[taxlady]

I remember eating my first "red delicious" apple in the early '60s and my reaction was, "That really is delicious." I thought it was the best apple going. They aren't the same any more.

 

[bakechef]

This thread encouraged me to make an apple crisp since I was having friends over. I made it a little different this time and it came out fabulous!

 

[Addie]

This thread encouraged me to make an apple crisp since I was having friends over. I made it a little different this time and it came out fabulous!

Every time I make it for my daughter's house, her husband complains that it is not apple pie. Ingrate!

 

[bakechef]

Every time I make it for my daughter's house, her husband complains that it is not apple pie. Ingrate!

I love them both, but I might be partial to crisp with vanilla ice cream! I love pie a lot and don't care for it with ice cream, but with crisp, bring on the ice cream!

 

[Kitchen Barbarian]

Winesaps are GREAT apples! I may have to move to Washington state. Between apple orchards and herbal substances, there are many many advantages ...

 

[Addie]

Winesaps are GREAT apples! I may have to move to Washington state. Between apple orchards and herbal substances, there are many many advantages ...

And don't forget the seafood restaurants you can find in Seattle. It is a well hidden secret for foodies.

 

[Mad Cook]

I am surrounded by apple orchards. And it is still the time of farmers market. I can also go in town to Fanuiel Hall market and get fresh picked that morning, any kind I want. Eating or cooking.

Apple growing in England went really downhill some years ago with orchards being grubbed up for other crops and we lost a lot of the old varieties for various reasons too many to go into. However, there has been a resurgence over the last few years with the trade getting very savvy about pushing the "English apple" and having the name of the variety and a little union flag sticker on each one. Among my favourite eating apples are Cox's Orange Pippins and Egremont Russets, although the latter have rather tough skins so are better peeled.

 

[Addie]

Apple growing in England went really downhill some years ago with orchards being grubbed up for other crops and we lost a lot of the old varieties for various reasons too many to go into. However, there has been a resurgence over the last few years with the trade getting very savvy about pushing the "English apple" and having the name of the variety and a little union flag sticker on each one. Among my favourite eating apples are Cox's Orange Pippins and Egremont Russets, although the latter have rather tough skins so are better peeled.

There are now a number of organizations that collect heritage seeds of foods and varieties that have gone out of style. A lot of them ask that you save some of the seeds from a couple of plants and return them in order for them to continue their work. I have had a bite of some of the heritage apples and they taste like an apple should. Appley! The problem with heritage apples is it takes more than just one growing season to get a return of a crop. But still worth the effort. Heritage tomatoes are another food I love. Oh dear! My mouth is drooling again.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Apples are usually propagated from grafted branches. Growing from seed doesn't guarantee you'll duplicate the apple you bit into. I don't know all the botanical stuff but maybe our resident Master Gardener could help you if you have questions.

 

[Addie]

Apples are usually propagated from grafted branches. Growing from seed doesn't guarantee you'll duplicate the apple you bit into. I don't know all the botanical stuff but maybe our resident Master Gardener could help you if you have questions.

I don't have any questions since I am not going to be starting an orchard this year.

 

[taxlady]

Apples are usually propagated from grafted branches. Growing from seed doesn't guarantee you'll duplicate the apple you bit into. I don't know all the botanical stuff but maybe our resident Master Gardener could help you if you have questions.

As I understand it, it's the hybrids that don't necessarily breed true. And you would have to have an apple tree of the type you want, so you could cut branches off to graft onto another tree.

 

[GotGarlic]

As I understand it, it's the hybrids that don't necessarily breed true. And you would have to have an apple tree of the type you want, so you could cut branches off to graft onto another tree.

It's more complicated than that. This explains it better than I can: http://treesandshrubs.about.com/od/propagation/f/applesfromseed.htm

And you don't need to get grafts from a tree. You can get grafts from existing grafts.

The apple cookbook I have describes a tree at an orchard entrance that is covered with grafts from dozens of apple varieties. I'd love to see that someday.

 

[taxlady]

It's more complicated than that. This explains it better than I can: Can You Grow Apples From Seeds?

And you don't need to get grafts from a tree. You can get grafts from existing grafts.

The apple cookbook I have describes a tree at an orchard entrance that is covered with grafts from dozens of apple varieties. I'd love to see that someday.

I didn't know that about apples. Thanks for the link. Yeah, I realize you don't need a whole tree for a graft, just some tree that has a graft with enough branches that one is willing to cut off some.

I knew someone who told me that his parents, in Portugal, had a citrus tree with grafts. It grew lemons, limes, oranges, and one other kind of citrus fruit.