APPLE OF MY EYE

Apples are an often ubiquitous fruit staple in many Aussie households, but do you know the best way to buy, store and cook them? Here are our top tips.

CHOOSING

Although the harvest starts as summer turns to autumn and ends around mid-winter, today we find good ‘fresh’ apples at the greengrocer year round. The apple industry meets this demand by growing varieties that will keep well in cool storage (or more correctly in controlledatmosphere storage) which puts the fruit to sleep so that, in theory, it emerges as fresh as it went in – although some varieties emerge better than others. Many apples are sprayed with a high-gloss wax before going on sale. This is done simply to make them look good. The wax, the same one used to coat jellybeans, is quite harmless to eat. In an unwaxed apple, a softly gleaming skin is a sign of good condition.

STORING

Don’t keep apples in the fruit bowl: They will hold their texture and flavour much better if kept in the refrigerator crisper. Don’t wash them until you are ready to use them. To store a large quantity of apples place them, not touching each other, in a cool, dark place where plenty of air can circulate, for example on slatted shelves or in pull-out wire baskets.

PREPARATION

When cut, apple turns brown, so if you have to peel or cut it ahead of using, brush with lemon juice to destroy the enzyme that causes this reaction, or keep it in water with a little lemon juice. If you want apples to break up in cooking, cook with a little water, but no sugar until the end of cooking. If you want the pieces to keep their shape, add sugar at the beginning of cooking, as it draws moisture from the fruit so that the pieces hold together. Cook with the minimum of water, as apples release a lot of their high water content when heated.

AN APPLE A DAY

All apples are good to eat raw – choice depends on your taste preference, from Granny Smiths and Bramleys at the tart end of the scale to Red and Golden Delicious, which are sweet and juicy, but perhaps a little bland for some. If using apples for cooking, select the right type for your purpose: Low-sugar apples, such as Bramley, will cook to a puree, while higher-sugar varieties will keep their shape.