Delicious Apples

[Addie]

Addie, why would they grow apples in a desert? They need plenty of water to make them juicy? I don't know about decades ago, but currently it looks like all apple production is in the western half of the state.

https://maps.google.com/maps?espv=2&biw=1366&bih=635&q=where+in+washington+state+are+apples+grown&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.&bvm=bv.89381419,d.eXY&ion=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=HkUaVZjPJsOmNoG-goAN&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&output=classic&dg=oo

CG, if you look at the map, pick up I90 right at Seattle, go over the Cascades, come down on the other side, head south to Yakima and you will be in the heart of commercial apple orchards. Yakima is right in the desert. There is a major army base also in that area for training desert fighting. It is where we always heading for apple picking. When you first come out of the mountains, you are in hops country. Another major crop for that part of the state. The apple orchards get plenty of water from the snow runoff of the mountains. Plenty of irrigation. I not went over those mountains for apple picking but to stay at my girlfriends in Spokane with is further east than Yakima.

When I was managing an apartment complex in Spanway, I rented only to soldiers from Fort Lewis. At least twice each Fall the soldiers there would have to go to Yakima for training. I hated and loved when they came back. They came back with everything they owned covered in sand and dust that screwed up the washers and boxes of apples. Guess which one I hated and which one I loved.

 

[taxlady]

One winter, several years ago, I found some Quebec grown, organic apples called Ambrosia. The name was accurate. Such yummy apples and of course, haven't found them since. They were a pretty pink and yellow apple.

 

[puffin3]

Last night I watched a show from NZ called 'Border Security'.
An older couple from the UK were detained and their luggage was checked. The old wife had put one orange in the old man's carry-on. They were fined $450.
A couple of minutes later an old couple from Canada were detained and their luggage was checked. One of them had put one green apple in a carry-on. They were fined $450!

 

[Dawgluver]

Last night I watched a show from NZ called 'Border Security'.

An older couple from the UK were detained and their luggage was checked. The old wife had put one orange in the old man's carry-on. They were fined $450.

A couple of minutes later an old couple from Canada were detained and their luggage was checked. One of them had put one green apple in a carry-on. They were fined $450!

This does not surprise me. There is a fruit sniffing beagle at the airport where we fly in to Mexico. I haven't seen anyone getting fined, they just take your fruit away.

 

[taxlady]

We were stopped at the California - Oregon border (heading into California) and had the car checked more than when crossing back from Canada. The agent found a piece of fruit. We ate it before crossing the border. That would have been in 1962, when my parents took on vacation to the Seattle World's Fair.

 

[Addie]

We were stopped at the California - Oregon border (heading into California) and had the car checked more than when crossing back from Canada. The agent found a piece of fruit. We ate it before crossing the border. That would have been in 1962, when my parents took on vacation to the Seattle World's Fair.

This doesn't surprise me. I had heard stories when I lived in Tacoma that you get stopped at the borders of Washington State. But at the time it didn't make sense to me. It seems Washington State wanted to protect their apple crop from being grown elsewhere. So they were stopping folks at the border from buying apples there and transporting them out of state. The people in Olympia were afraid that folks would plant the seeds elsewhere. So why did they ship them all over the country. Someone didn't think that through very well. When I mentioned that I just got a look of "You smart ass."

 

[taxlady]

This doesn't surprise me. I had heard stories when I lived in Tacoma that you get stopped at the borders of Washington State. But at the time it didn't make sense to me. It seems Washington State wanted to protect their apple crop from being grown elsewhere. So they were stopping folks at the border from buying apples there and transporting them out of state. The people in Olympia were afraid that folks would plant the seeds elsewhere. So why did they ship them all over the country. Someone didn't think that through very well. When I mentioned that I just got a look of "You smart ass."

The California search was for any produce coming into California. Raw produce might have pests that could endanger agriculture.

 

[Dawgluver]

There was a big discussion on another forum about folks trying to take wrapped cheese, like Velveeta, into Mexico. Some are able to get away with it, some get it confiscated, others have gotten fined. My Laughing Cow Swiss wheel package arrived just fine, even though we got the "red button" at Customs and had our luggage searched.

I got my orange confiscated while going through customs at the Canadian border many years ago. A good family friend had to eat all his beloved garlic sausage when trying to cross back from Canada into the US during the Mad Cow disease scare as they told him he couldn't bring it in.

 

[Addie]

The California search was for any produce coming into California. Raw produce might have pests that could endanger agriculture.

That certainly makes more sense than the reason I was given. I liked the title of "Smart Ass."

 

[Addie]

There was a big discussion on another forum about folks trying to take wrapped cheese, like Velveeta, into Mexico. Some are able to get away with it, some get it confiscated, others have gotten fined. My Laughing Cow Swiss wheel package arrived just fine, even though we got the "red button" at Customs and had our luggage searched.

I got my orange confiscated while going through customs at the Canadian border many years ago. A good family friend had to eat all his beloved garlic sausage when trying to cross back from Canada into the US during the Mad Cow disease scare as they told him he couldn't bring it in.

Yet we ship our produce over both borders and even overseas.

 

[Dawgluver]

Yet we ship our produce over both borders and even overseas.

Silly, isn't it? Though I understand. Much of our limes are imported from Mexico.

There's an agriculture form to be filled out on the plane asking if you'd been on a farm lately. They don't want any infestations of fungus or bacteria.

My ratty looking home-grown, organic, apple maggot infested, apple scaled apples likely wouldn't make it across any borders, and that's fine. They still taste good!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Tried the Ambrosia variety. The one I had was very firm, juicy, and crispy, but may have been over-watered as the flavor wasn't as strong as I like. Even so, it was a good apple - meaty, heavy, and crisp.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[taxlady]

Tried the Ambrosia variety. The one I had was very firm, juicy, and crispy, but may have been over-watered as the flavor wasn't as strong as I like. Even so, it was a good apple - meaty, heavy, and crisp.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

I only had them the one time. We grow a lot of apples in Quebec. Unfortunately, for apple consumers, they seem to be mostly going to the more lucrative ice cider (alcoholic, of course) production.

 

[CharlieD]

Ambrosia is a good Apple. Not cheap. As far as planting seeds to grow an apple tree, that is probably not realistic.


Sent from my iPhone using Discuss Cooking

 

[Janet H]

I live in eastern WA and it's been interesting to watch the Apple Biz change over the past few years. Most growers have uprooted their red and golden delicious trees - there is very little market for these apples and the best of the bunch are shipped over seas. I swear we get the dregs in the local grocery stores and so most of us purchase apples at farmers markets or direct from the growers.

Fresh off the tree the Delicious varieties really are wonderful but in cold storage, they lose flavor and turn mealy, the thick skins on the reds are a turn off as well. A golden delicious apple still makes the best apple pies I've ever had - loads of flavor and not very watery, the slices hang together with great tender texture in a pie. YUM.

The best apples now around here imo are honey crisps, cripps pink (pink ladies), Jazz, Pacific rose and a few of the new varieties.

Here's a nice rundown of the characteristics of these varieties: Apple Varieties :: Washington State Apple Commission

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I understand that in both Michigan, and Washington, many apple orchards are being replaced with grape vines, as wine is more popular than are apples. To me, that is a very sad thing, as I love apples, and really don't like wine. And the grape vines aren't farmed because the farmers love the grapes, it's just more profitable.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Addie]

I understand that in both Michigan, and Washington, many apple orchards are being replaced with grape vines, as wine is more popular than are apples. To me, that is a very sad thing, as I love apples, and really don't like wine. And the grape vines aren't farmed because the farmers love the grapes, it's just more profitable.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Unfortunately for them, children can eat the apples, and are not allowed to drink wine. Whereas both adults and children can eat apples. So they lose a whole segment of the population.

 

[FrankZ]

I To me, that is a very sad thing, as I love apples, and really don't like wine.

Apples are ok, but I like hard cider much better than wine, especially wine made from grapes.

 

[Addie]

Apples are ok, but I like hard cider much better than wine, especially wine made from grapes.

Have to buy it in the liquor in this state.

 

[FrankZ]

Have to buy it in the liquor in this state.

Same here. No alcohol of any kind (except that cooking stuff and Nyquil et al.) outside of a liquor store here.