THE ORCHARD OF EDEN

No one is sure about which apple variety Eve might have plucked from the tree of knowledge, causing all hell to break loose. In the millennia gone by though, the rest of us have gone from fig leaf to overalls trying to re-create the paradigm of that luscious, lascivious fruit.

Leave it to a maverick bee. Rather than head for the usual haunts, this one took a tour of British Columbia, picking up some pollen from this apple blossom and leaving it on that apple blossom en route.

One day, a lucky apple grower noticed a stranger in his orchard: an apple that didn’t look like the others. Without so much as a snake to tempt him, he bit. Ahhh. Ambrosia!

Indeed, Ambrosia is the recently coveted variety of apple that Washington State apple growers have been perfecting for several years, and now it’s freshly harvested and making its way to markets far and wide, including yours.

What has made Ambrosia sprint to the top 10 varieties of apple sold in 2015? It has everything going for it:

 
A visit to Washington State’s McDougall & Sons, the family-owned and operated orchard that is currently the exclusive grower of Ambrosia apples in the U.S., reveals the intensely detailed hand labor required to produce such perfection.

TOP PHOTO: Like the Garden of Eden: a tree brimming with Ambrosia apples. Photo courtesy AmbrosiaApples.com. BOTTOM PHOTO: After picking, apples are sorted and get a bath prior to packing and shipping. Photo by Rowann Gilman | THE NIBBLE.

The process takes an entire year, after which the fruit is cold-stored for shipping to markets from September through July. Ambrosia are harvested with an ideal sugar/starch balance in mind rather than color as other apples are, and because of that you can always spot Ambrosia in a crowd: The pretty patterns arrayed around their stems and cheeks are creamy yellow where leaves have shaded them from the sun.

GENERAL TIP: Select apples that have stems intact. The stem acts as a “cork,” making sure moisture and flavor do not dissipate.

To become an Ambrosian, just look for the label in the photo below.

Discover more at MySweetAmbrosia.com.

—Rowann Gilman

TOP PHOTO: Fresh off the tree. BOTTOM
PHOTO: Look for the label. Photos courtesy
Ambrosia Apples.

THE HISTORY OF APPLES

Apples seem like the universal European fruit. But they first grew wild in the Tien Shan mountains of Kazakhstan, in Central Asia, millions of years ago.

Those early apples were likely smaller and more sour than modern apples—more like crabapples.

By about 6500 B.C.E., travelers were carrying cultivated apple seeds west, to West Asia, and east to China. Charred remains of apples have been found at a Stone Age village in Switzerland. (The Stone Aged spanned 6000 B.C.E to 2000 B.C.E.) [Source]

The Greeks grew several varieties of apples by the third century B.C.E.; the ancient Romans also grew and loved the fruit.

Around 100 C.E., the Roman Legions brought apples with them as they advanced north through Europe. Gaul (ancient France) became a fertile region for apple cultivation. Brittania (England) also grew the Roman-brought apples. Centuries later, following the Norman conquest in 1066, new varieties of apple from France were introduced to England.

Apples were a boon to Europeans. They ripened just as it was getting cold and they could keep all winter, a valuable food source when nothing else was growing. Apples were also sliced, dried and stored. And bitter varieties were pressed to make cider.

Apples arrived in the New World in 1607, with the Jamestown settlers. The seeds and cuttings they brought from Europe were not all suited for cultivation in Virginia, but they began to mutate to new varieties of American apples.

Many of these apples were fairly bitter—not hand fruit, but important for making cider, which was more valuable than hand fruit or cooking fruit.

Apples were being grown in Massachusetts as early as 1630. Mutation was continually creating new breeds. The McIntosh mutation was discovered in 1796 (by a farmer named John McIntosh).

Sweet apples for eating were grown as well (and today they’re grown in every state). Thomas Jefferson had a part in the development of the Fuji apple.

As the story goes, the French minister to the United States gave Jefferson a gift of apple cuttings; Jefferson donated them to a Virginia nursery which cultivated them as the “Ralls Genet.” In 1939, Japanese apple breeders crossed the genes from the Red Delicious apple with the Ralls Genet, resulting in the now-ubiquitous Fuji apple. [Source]

When the weather gets cooler, the foods get warmer.

Here’s a flavorful hot fall and winter dip from Kraft. You serve it warm and bubbly, with crudités, crackers, cocktail franks or cut-up regular franks or brats.

Kraft developed it with their brands: Kraft Real Mayonnaise, Oscar Mayer Brand bacon, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Shredded Three Cheese and Kraft Natural Shredded Three Cheese With Touch Of Philadelphia, which combines Cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack with a touch of cream cheese.

We grated what we had at home: a combination of Emmental (the real Swiss cheese) and Sharp Cheddar.

We also added what we think is the perfect hot, tangy complement: prepared horseradish (from a jar, not fresh root). If you want more tang and don’t like horseradish, try Dijon mustard (not Honey Dijon).

Prep time is 10 minutes, total time is 25 minutes.

RECIPE: HOT CHEESE & BACON DIP

Ingredients For 12 Servings

 
Plus

How yummy! Photo courtesy Kraft Foods.

1. HEAT the oven to 350°F. Reserve 2 tablespoons each of the bacon, cheese and onions for garnish.

2. MIX the remaining ingredients until blended, and spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly around the edges.

3. GARNISH with the reserved ingredients and serve with the dippers.

TOP PHOTO: Almonds with a sriracha kick.
Photo courtesy Blue Diamond. BOTTOM
PHOTO: Bean & Tortilla Chips from Food
Should Taste Good.

Brands we enjoy and have previously reviewed are busy launching new lines. Here’s what we tasted lately.

BLUE DIAMOND BOLD SRIRACHA ALMONDS

Companies that have jumped on the “hot” bandwagon have figured out how to make products hot enough to please hotties, but not so hot that they loses sales from the other segments.

These “bold” roasted almonds are delightful, and not as intense as the can indicates, or we would not have been able to eat them (medium salsa is the hottest we go).

Consider them as stocking stuffers. Almonds are a healthful nut, so this is a guilt-free snack. The line is certified kosher by OK. More information.
 
FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD BEAN CHIPS

Our favorite line of tortilla chips, known for deftly combining other foods with corn-based tortilla chips, is now adding beans to the mix.

Food Should Taste Good Black Bean Chips and Pinto Bean Chips combine nutritious, fiber-filled beans to deliver real bean flavors.

Food Should Taste Good Bean Chips are gluten free, have zero grams trans-fat and are certified kosher by OU. More information.

We must shout out to the line of tortilla chips in flavors galore. Beyond Cantina chips, there are Cheddar, Falafel, Guacamole, Harvest Pumpkin, Jalapeño, Jalapeño With Cheddar, Kettle Corn, Lime, Multigrain, Olive, Sweet Potato, The Works and White Cheddar.

Love those chips!

NASOYA CHIPOTLE BAKED TOFU

Who says tofu isn’t flavorful? Nasoya, the country’s largest producer of tofu, has added a new flavor to its line of TofuBaked.

Chipotle TofuBaked is ready to eat, sliced cold into salads or sandwiches, or heated for scrambles, omelets and Tex-Mex favorites (burritos, fajitas, tacos). Recipes on the website include Seven Layer Chipotle Dip, Southwest Breakfast Bake and Chipotle Tortilla Soup.

We’re also fans of Ginger TofuBaked.

The product is USDA certified organic and certified kosher by Star K.

More information.
 
POPCHIPS CRAZY HOT

Quite hot, if not crazy hot, these chips are also quite tart, with as much vinegar as heat.

In addition to red chili pepper flavor, there are hints of Cheddar cheese. We think it’s a winner for hot stuff lovers.

The line is certified kosher by KOF-K and certified gluten free. More information.
 
RUNA ICED TEA

Runa Clean Energy has no sugar added iced teas, which, thanks to the guayusa from which the tea is brewed, has a natural sweetness as well.

The line is certified kosher by OU, Fair Trade Certified and a Certified B Corporation.

In 8.4-ounce/250 ml cans, flavors include Berry, Orange Passion and Original. More information.

TOP PHOTO: Spicy tofu, ready to eat from Nasoya. BOTTOM PHOTO: More hot stuff, this time in crunchy potato chips from Popchips .