The fall season is finally upon us, giving way for many opportunities to visit local farmers’ markets for fresh seasonal produce. I took it upon myself to hunt down some fresh and unique produce of my own by paying a visit to Whittamore’s Farm located at 8100 Steeles Avenue East in Markham. This is a fairly large farm that is located close to the city. During the peak of the summer they offer the ability to pick your own produce, such as fresh strawberries and raspberries. They even have a ‘fun farm’ for children in the spring and summer that is filled with various activities such as mazes, tractor tire climbs and farm animals. Currently, their ‘fun farm’ has been transformed into a ‘pumpkinland’ complete with a corn maze and a pumpkin cannon show on weekends. It is times like this that I wish I could go back to being a kid again and revel in these outdoor activities. With all the excitement that Whittamore’s Farm has to offer, I can’t count the number of times I have driven by this farm with the intention of stopping in to have a look but failing to do so. This year, I made sure that I would not miss out on this opportunity. Upon entering the market area, I was greeted by a wonderful display of fall produce. There was large assortment of vegetables available for sale, yet their available fruit only consisted of apples, pears and strawberries. At first I was somewhat disappointed, but then I took the time to remind myself that it is somewhat late in the fruit harvesting period and decided to have a closer look at what was available rather than to turn around and go home. As I turned a corner, I was pleasantly surprised to see a huge assortment of apples which included many varieties that I have never heard of before. One variety that instantly grabbed my attention was the Ambrosia apple. This apple was priced well above the other varieties at $3.99/lb, so I decided I needed to purchase some of these apples and find out what they are all about and what makes them so special. I selected three apples that had good colouration and felt firm to the touch, made my purchase and returned home to research this apple variety. The Ambrosia apple, or Malus domestica ‘Ambrosia’, is a fairly new cultivar of apple belonging to the Rosaceae (Rose) family (Collett, 2011). This variety of apple originates from the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia and it was here where the first seedling appeared between a row of Jonagold apples on a farm owned by the Mennell family in the early 1990’s (Ambrosia Apples, 2016). The Ambrosia apple most closely resembles a Jonagold apple, yet it is suspected that its parentage is derived from a cross between a Starking Delicious and Golden Delicious apple (Mennell & Mennell, 1999). The name ‘Ambrosia’ comes from the Greek language where it is used to describe the food or drink of the gods in Greek mythology. Ambrosia apples are grown close together within narrow rows to allow for all the apples to be exposed to the sun (Ambrosia Apples, 2016). The fruit typically develops close to the main stem of the plant and is usually harvested between late September to early October. Ambrosia apples have one of the shortest harvesting seasons of any apples, and this likely contributes to their increased market price. The Ambrosia apple is grown on limited acreages within Canada and the United States to prevent oversupply, and growers must apply for a licence before being allowed to propagate and sell Ambrosia trees (Cline, 2009). When you first look at an Ambrosia apple, you can see that it has a light red coloured flesh with some green variation. It feels smooth to the touch and is noticeably firm. Cutting it open, you can see that the interior consists of a creamy yellow coloured flesh that feels wet but is also somewhat firm to the touch. The scent emitted from this apple is light and lacks the overpowering acidy notes of other apples, such as the Granny Smith. As you bite into the apple you can instantly hear that it gives off a loud audible crunch. The Ambrosia apple appeals to both the tastes of sweet and sour, with a pleasantly sweet taste that lingers on your tongue coupled with a very low level of tartness. This fruit does not appeal to the taste of salt, bitter or umami. I found that its flavour was very similar to that of a Golden Delicious apple, likely due to its suspected parentage. This apple did, however, also have a flavour that reminded me of a slightly under-ripe pear. The Ambrosia apple is not an overly unique fruit, yet because it is less commonly found in local supermarkets and is a newer crossbreed of apple. finding it at a farmers’ market makes for a nice treat. The Ambrosia apple would be a perfect apple to use for poaching due to its firmness and low level of tartness. Here is a great recipe for a poached bourbon Ambrosia apple that I recommend you try. It infuses a great deal of warm flavours reminiscent of the fall into the apple and makes for a great dessert on a night in, especially if paired with a vanilla bean ice cream and a glass of icewine. I recommend Henry of Pelham Riesling Icewine to complement the flavours of this dessert. Ingredients:
Add the apple cider, bourbon, maple syrup and cinnamon to a saucepot and bring to a simmer on the stove over a medium-low heat. Add the apples, return to a simmer and let simmer for approximately 25 minutes ensuring that you turn the apples halfway through cooking. Remove the apples using a slotted spoon. Discard the cinnamon stick and reduce the liquid in the saucepot over high heat until it has reached a caramel-like consistency then set aside. Place the apples on a parchment lined baking seat with the cut sides facing up and sprinkle the sugar over them. Use a torch to crystalize the sugar or place under a broiler for a few minutes. Top with crushed pecans if you like, or simply serve as is. By visiting Whittamore’s Farm, I learnt that you can stumble across fresh produce items in a market that you may not find at your local grocery store. The quality of these products also appears to be better, with heightened colours and flavours. Taking the time to better understand and expand my knowledge on the large variety of apples available has allowed me to heighten my awareness of the similarities and differences in fruit varieties and how aspects of these can come through in the crossbreeding of fruit plants. This activity also helped me to appreciate the importance of seasonality and market availability when it comes to produce. We all wish that we could have our favourite fruits and vegetables available to us at any point during the year, but by understanding seasonality we can come to an increased appreciation of fresh produce. References: Ambrosia Apples. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.ambrosiaapples.com Cline, J. A. (2009). Commercial Production of AmbrosiaTM Apples in Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Collett, L. (2011). About the apple – Malus domestica. Retrieved from http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lincoln/sites/default/files/about_the_apple.lc_.2011.pdf Mennell, W. J. & Mennell, S. B. (1999). U.S. Patent No. PP10,789. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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AuthorHi everyone. I'm Peter, and I have decided to follow my passion and pursue a career in cooking. I look forward to connecting with you all. Archives
February 2017
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