The Last Fruit share....

Fruit Share. week 12

With great sadness, I picked up my final fruit share of the 2009 season

Here is the description of this week's share provided by North Star Orchard

Emperor Apples (Almost solidly red, but with a dull skin...there's no 'shiny' to them!) - These are possibly the hardest apples we've ever met. Unless you cut them with a knife, the first bite can be hard to achieve, but after that you'll be fine. They have a nicely balanced sweet flavor, and are quite juicy considering how hard they are!

Eclipse Apples (mostly dark red and shiny) - Don't let the color fool you; these babies are quite tart. Super-juicy though, with a flavor that reminds me of really fresh apple cider. You can eat these or use them to cook with. I understand they make a wicked-good apple dumpling.

Golden Russet Apples (golden and russeted!)- This is a classic, 400+ year old antique variety. Hey, if they look this weird and have been around that long, there must be something awesome about them....and there is! Golden Russet have an amazingly complex sweet flavor and a very unique firm texture. They're really unlike any other apple...but people who know them line up to get their hands on them! Great for snacking, if the kids are suspicious because of their appearance ...well, lucky you - you won't have to share!
(Caution: these kind of look like Asian pears! A good identifier is that they still have their full stems!)

Niitaka Asian Pears - Note: These are different from the 'Olympic' you received the past two weeks! Niitaka have a texture and flavor somewhat in-between that of Hosui and Olympic. They have a pleasant crunch, and their mildly sweet flavor is a great counterpoint to serve with curry or other spicy dishes and on salads containing spicy greens and/or strong cheeses. They also stand up well to cooking. These will keep for a very long time in your fridge...likely even to the New Year!


... and one personal note, those Golden Russet Apples (they are in the left side of the basket) are the tastiest Apples I've ever eaten!

Here is the entire season of fruit from North Star Orchards