I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?

On Thu 03 Nov 2005 03:05:12p, Kimberly wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?

I can't get very good pie apples where I live. I generally use yellow
delicious. I think they make a decent pie.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Kimberly wrote:
> I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>


Just about anything except Red Delicious or Granny Smith.

I used Regent in my last apple pie and it turned out pretty good. I
have a bunch of Honey Golds (a close cousin of Golden Delicious) that
I'm gonna use to make jars of pie filling.

Bob

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Kimberly wrote:
> > I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> > in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> > Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
> >
>
>
> Just about anything except Red Delicious or Granny Smith.
>
> I used Regent in my last apple pie and it turned out pretty good. I
> have a bunch of Honey Golds (a close cousin of Golden Delicious) that
> I'm gonna use to make jars of pie filling.
>
> Bob

I like a mix, Jonagolds, Golden Delicious, Braeburns with Granny Smith (not
all at the same time!, just something mixed with the Granny Smith). The
Granny Smith is such a tart apple it needs something sweet to give it
balance. At the same time it provides a bit of tartness that gives the pie a
little bit more complexity.

Lisa aka Pagemaster

Lisa Smith wrote:
> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Kimberly wrote:
>>
>>>I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
>>>in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
>>>Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>>>
>>
>>
>>Just about anything except Red Delicious or Granny Smith.
>>
>>I used Regent in my last apple pie and it turned out pretty good. I
>>have a bunch of Honey Golds (a close cousin of Golden Delicious) that
>>I'm gonna use to make jars of pie filling.
>>
>>Bob
>
>
> I like a mix, Jonagolds, Golden Delicious, Braeburns with Granny Smith (not
> all at the same time!, just something mixed with the Granny Smith). The
> Granny Smith is such a tart apple it needs something sweet to give it
> balance. At the same time it provides a bit of tartness that gives the pie a
> little bit more complexity.
>
> Lisa aka Pagemaster
>
>

I use granny smith exclusively, but I like a tart pie

--

saerah

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"I think there's a clause in the Shaman's and Jujumen's Local #57 Union
contract that they have to have reciprocity for each other's shop rules."
-König Prüß

On Thu 03 Nov 2005 04:42:49p, sarah bennett wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Lisa Smith wrote:
>> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>Kimberly wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
>>>>in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
>>>>Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Just about anything except Red Delicious or Granny Smith.
>>>
>>>I used Regent in my last apple pie and it turned out pretty good. I
>>>have a bunch of Honey Golds (a close cousin of Golden Delicious) that
>>>I'm gonna use to make jars of pie filling.
>>>
>>>Bob
>>
>>
>> I like a mix, Jonagolds, Golden Delicious, Braeburns with Granny Smith
>> (not all at the same time!, just something mixed with the Granny
>> Smith). The Granny Smith is such a tart apple it needs something sweet
>> to give it balance. At the same time it provides a bit of tartness that
>> gives the pie a little bit more complexity.
>>
>> Lisa aka Pagemaster
>>
>>
>
> I use granny smith exclusively, but I like a tart pie
>

If anyone gets stuck with bland apples, try adding 1/2 - 1 cup of fresh raw
cranberries. Makes an amazing pie.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> On Thu 03 Nov 2005 03:05:12p, Kimberly wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
> > I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> > in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> > Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>
> I can't get very good pie apples where I live. I generally use yellow
> delicious. I think they make a decent pie.

Delicious apples in a pie? Pooey. Never. They are tasteless and the wilt
when cooked.
Northern Spy are at the top of my list. I have also used Spartan, Macs and
Ida Reds.

Dave Smith wrote:
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>
>>On Thu 03 Nov 2005 03:05:12p, Kimberly wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>
>>>I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
>>>in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
>>>Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>>
>>I can't get very good pie apples where I live. I generally use yellow
>>delicious. I think they make a decent pie.
>
>
> Delicious apples in a pie? Pooey. Never. They are tasteless and the wilt
> when cooked.
> Northern Spy are at the top of my list. I have also used Spartan, Macs and
> Ida Reds.
>
>


Just as an experiment, try cooking a couple of *Golden* Delicious
apples. They cook surprisingly well. Not at all like Red Delicious.

-Bob

"Kimberly" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>

If you can find Ida Reds, they make an awesome pie. I usually mix apples,
like a couple Granny Smith, a few Ida Reds (when I can find them), and maybe
a Jonagold. I like the variations in texture and flavor.

kimberly

"Nexis" > wrote in message
news:gVyaf.16255$i%.6839@fed1read07...
> "Kimberly" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> > in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> > Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?

> If you can find Ida Reds, they make an awesome pie. I usually mix apples,
> like a couple Granny Smith, a few Ida Reds (when I can find them), and
maybe
> a Jonagold. I like the variations in texture and flavor.
>
> kimberly

Do you all mix apples for applesauce as well? If not, I recommend doing so;
it's another way to get that texture/flavor variation thing going. Tonight,
I'm using Macs, Jonagolds and Pink Ladies in my applesauce, which I'll serve
alongside a roast pork.

And I've a hankering to make cornbread, too, although I'm not sure why . . .

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Kimberly wrote:

> Anyone have an opinion?

Braeburn is my favorite.

Becca

"Kimberly" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>

Cortland apples. End of discussion.

But, where do you live? It's germane to the discussion.

On Thu, 3 Nov 2005 18:14:33 -0800, "Spitzmaus" >
wrote:

>And I've a hankering to make cornbread, too, although I'm not sure why . . .

Fall & winter--definitely the time for cornbread, along with the other
goodies you mentioned. (pork roast & applesauce--always a great
pairing)

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

On 3 Nov 2005 14:05:12 -0800, "Kimberly" > wrote:

>I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
>in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
>Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?

rofl!
'Anyone (in RFC!) have an opinion?' About apples?

10 posters--that should supply about 15 opinions. <g>

I'm old-fashioned. I still like Rome Beauties, Gravensteins, and
Golden Delicious. (worth noting that I live in western Washington, so
the apple supply/variety is excellent)

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

Kimberly wrote:
> I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> in plain old apple pie

"Very best"...? Dehys of course... this is what the *very best*
bakeries do... do yoose think they sit around paring bushels of of
unknown pie quality apples in a HOT bakery. Naturally the crapola
bakeries use canned apple pie filling... right up there with canned
****orioghetti. Only home cooks use fresh apples for pie filling...
always a crap shoot... but for the very occasional pie or two it's what
they do, they don't know why they do it that way, it's how their
mothers did... guess you can chalk it up to monkey see, monkey do. But
there's a much better way... save your pretty, unblemished, fresh, in
season, local apples for eating out of hand... it's a shame to chop em
up for pie... and cheapo drops/cider apples from the farm stand are too
labor intensive paring away the damaged/woimy portions, plus they
actually end up more expensive with all the loss. The very best pie
apples get shipped directly from the orchards to the commercial
dehyrator factories... now that I life in upstate NY I actually get to
see the overloaded trucks rumbling by right on the road where I live.
Many of my neighbors maintain acres of apple orchards... keeps their
property agricultural, they pay far less taxes, in fact that's the only
way they can afford to continue living there without selling off most
of the old family farm.

Repost from 'bout ten years ago... mine... from the days when there
were mostly normal brained folks at rfc, and they actually knew how to
cook, and discussed *real* cooking techniques instead of their mental
illnesses.

For the newbies:

Apple Pie Filling from Dehydrated Apples

The nicest apple pies I've ever made were where the filling was
prepared from dried (dehydrated) apples, the apple flavor is more
intense and the texture less mushy; obviously there is less work
and no waste. Dried apples are easily available from stupidmarkets
at reasonable prices especially from markets that sell bulk and from
so-called health food shops. And of course there are no storage
problems with dehydrated fruits, they last about forever.

One pound of dehydated apples equals approximately ten pounds of
fresh. To one pound of dehydrated apples add 2 quarts of water and
*slowly* bring to a gentle boil, stir occasionally and cook 5 minutes,
covered. Turn off heat and let rest, covered, till room temperature.

Make a slurry of cornstarch and cold water; bring apples back to boil
and add cornstarch mixture and cook until thick and clear. Turn off
heat.

While still hot carefully blend in sugar (about 1 pound), a pinch of
salt,
butter (about 2 ounces), a tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and the
juice
of one lemon. Cool throughly. May be refrigerated up to two days for
later
use.

Scale about 3 1/2 cups filling into each unbaked pie crust, cover with
top
crust and bake at 425 degrees F for about 45 minutes, until crust is
nicely
browned.
---

Sheldon

I like to mix firmer ones (like fuji, or granny smith if you like some
zing) with mushier ones (think MacIntosh). Maybe a combo of macs and
granny smiths (thrown in for tartness) as well as some fujis, golden
delicious or other sweet apple for sugar content.

A lot of pie recipes say never use Red Delicious, but I've used them in
conjunction with other apples (in my bottom-of-the-fruit-drawer pies)
and they've worked just fine.

Karen MacInerney
Kitchen experimenter, family chauffeur, and culinary mystery author

"Denny Wheeler" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 3 Nov 2005 18:14:33 -0800, "Spitzmaus" >
> wrote:
>
> >And I've a hankering to make cornbread, too, although I'm not sure why .
.. .
>
> Fall & winter--definitely the time for cornbread, along with the other
> goodies you mentioned. (pork roast & applesauce--always a great
> pairing)
>
> --
> -denny-
> "Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth
unannounced?"
>
> "It's come as you are, baby."
>
> -over the hedge

Yes, the weather was a factor in my decision, as it started to rain in the
early evening (not to mention the ridiculously early fall of darkness these
days). But then, I could eat cornbread in 110 degree heat! Must be my
Southern mama's influence . . .

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

"Denny Wheeler" > wrote in message
...
> On 3 Nov 2005 14:05:12 -0800, "Kimberly" > wrote:
>
> >I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> >in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> >Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>
> rofl!
> 'Anyone (in RFC!) have an opinion?' About apples?
>
> 10 posters--that should supply about 15 opinions. <g>
>
> I'm old-fashioned. I still like Rome Beauties, Gravensteins, and
> Golden Delicious. (worth noting that I live in western Washington, so
> the apple supply/variety is excellent)
>
> --
> -denny-
> "Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth
unannounced?"
>
> "It's come as you are, baby."
>
> -over the hedge

Oh my, yes -- Gravensteins in season are hard to beat. Currently, I'm
liking Pink Ladies, Black Twigs and Jonagolds.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

I live in Northern Michigan where at last count I could buy at least 15
different varieties of apples this time of year....

Doug Kanter wrote:
> "Kimberly" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> > in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> > Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
> >
>
> Cortland apples. End of discussion.
>
> But, where do you live? It's germane to the discussion.

Sheldon wrote:

> Kimberly wrote:
>
>> I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to
>> use in plain old apple pie
>
> "Very best"...? Dehys of course... this is what the *very best*
> bakeries do... do yoose think they sit around paring bushels of of
> unknown pie quality apples in a HOT bakery. Naturally the crapola
> bakeries use canned apple pie filling...

Dehydrated apples are too inconsistent to use reliably, and you never
know what kind of apples they were made from. Adding plain water (see
below) to them to rehydrate means that you've merely restored the
missing water. No flavor concentration, no flavor improvement. If you're
going to do it that way, rehydrate in apple juice. The number given
below of ratio of fresh to dry is wrong. A pound of dried apples comes
from 3.5 to 4 pounds of fresh. Adding two quarts of water to one pound
of dried apples merely brings the hydration up to near where it started.

Most commercial bakeries use either fresh, pre-cut apples, or frozen
pre-cut apples. They come in large loose-top cans (like old-time pretzel
or potato chip cans where you just lift off the top), peeled and usually
already sugared. The wedge cut used for them is called a "pie-cut."

I just looked in the U.S. Navy cookbook and I think I see where this
dehydrated apple idea came from. Except they say to soak the apples for
45 to 60 minutes, heat to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Add sugar and
cook for another 10 minutes. No starch. They also say to portion a quart
of filling per pie. I guess Sheldon forgot that original recipe. The
Navy Cookbook also has recipes for canned filling. Funny thing. Canned
filling is cooked. Just like this dehydrated one. Just less fuss. Open
and dump.

> right up there with canned ****orioghetti.

<LOL> How hard we must work to make ourselves look this silly...

Pastorio

> Only home cooks use fresh apples for pie filling...
> always a crap shoot... but for the very occasional pie or two it's
> what they do, they don't know why they do it that way, it's how their
> mothers did... guess you can chalk it up to monkey see, monkey do.
> But there's a much better way... save your pretty, unblemished,
> fresh, in season, local apples for eating out of hand... it's a shame
> to chop em up for pie... and cheapo drops/cider apples from the farm
> stand are too labor intensive paring away the damaged/woimy portions,
> plus they actually end up more expensive with all the loss. The very
> best pie apples get shipped directly from the orchards to the
> commercial dehyrator factories... now that I life in upstate NY I
> actually get to see the overloaded trucks rumbling by right on the
> road where I live. Many of my neighbors maintain acres of apple
> orchards... keeps their property agricultural, they pay far less
> taxes, in fact that's the only way they can afford to continue living
> there without selling off most of the old family farm.
>
> Repost from 'bout ten years ago... mine... from the days when there
> were mostly normal brained folks at rfc, and they actually knew how
> to cook, and discussed *real* cooking techniques instead of their
> mental illnesses.
>
> For the newbies:
>
> Apple Pie Filling from Dehydrated Apples
>
> The nicest apple pies I've ever made were where the filling was
> prepared from dried (dehydrated) apples, the apple flavor is more
> intense and the texture less mushy; obviously there is less work and
> no waste. Dried apples are easily available from stupidmarkets at
> reasonable prices especially from markets that sell bulk and from
> so-called health food shops. And of course there are no storage
> problems with dehydrated fruits, they last about forever.
>
> One pound of dehydated apples equals approximately ten pounds of
> fresh. To one pound of dehydrated apples add 2 quarts of water and
> *slowly* bring to a gentle boil, stir occasionally and cook 5
> minutes, covered. Turn off heat and let rest, covered, till room
> temperature.
>
> Make a slurry of cornstarch and cold water; bring apples back to boil
> and add cornstarch mixture and cook until thick and clear. Turn off
> heat.
>
> While still hot carefully blend in sugar (about 1 pound), a pinch of
> salt, butter (about 2 ounces), a tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and
> the juice of one lemon. Cool throughly. May be refrigerated up to
> two days for later use.
>
> Scale about 3 1/2 cups filling into each unbaked pie crust, cover
> with top crust and bake at 425 degrees F for about 45 minutes, until
> crust is nicely browned. ---
>
> Sheldon

"Kimberly" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I live in Northern Michigan where at last count I could buy at least 15
> different varieties of apples this time of year....
>
> Doug Kanter wrote:
>> "Kimberly" > wrote in message
>> ups.com...
>> > I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
>> > in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
>> > Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>> >
>>
>> Cortland apples. End of discussion.
>>
>> But, where do you live? It's germane to the discussion.
>

OK. I asked because you might live in one of those wastelands where you can
only get 3 kinds, 2 of which are imported, and left to age on a ship for a
month. :-) But, sounds like you're in good shape.

One time on Usenet, "Spitzmaus" > said:
> "Denny Wheeler" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On 3 Nov 2005 14:05:12 -0800, "Kimberly" > wrote:

> > >I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> > >in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> > >Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?

> > rofl!
> > 'Anyone (in RFC!) have an opinion?' About apples?
> >
> > 10 posters--that should supply about 15 opinions. <g>
> >
> > I'm old-fashioned. I still like Rome Beauties, Gravensteins, and
> > Golden Delicious. (worth noting that I live in western Washington, so
> > the apple supply/variety is excellent)

> Oh my, yes -- Gravensteins in season are hard to beat. Currently, I'm
> liking Pink Ladies, Black Twigs and Jonagolds.

I was lucky enough to have two Graventstein trees in my yard as a
kid -- I love the sweet/tart taste and they make great cooking apples.
I missed the season this year, though. Next Spring we're going to
plant a couple of them in our back yard...


--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

"S'mee" > wrote in message
...

> I was lucky enough to have two Graventstein trees in my yard as a
> kid -- I love the sweet/tart taste and they make great cooking apples.
> I missed the season this year, though. Next Spring we're going to
> plant a couple of them in our back yard...
>
>
> --
> Jani in WA (S'mee)
> ~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Now *that* would've made for some good childhood memories! I'd love to
plant a few apple trees on our property, although I'm not sure if they'd do
well; what I [don't] know about gardening is best left unsaid.

Luckily, our local farmers' market has a plentiful supply of numerous apple
varieties, including the Gravs in season. I loaded up with at least five
pounds of fruit on Wednesday . . .

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Bob (this one) wrote:

> Dehydrated apples are too inconsistent to use reliably, and you never know
> what kind of apples they were made from. Adding plain water (see below) to
> them to rehydrate means that you've merely restored the missing water. No
> flavor concentration, no flavor improvement. If you're going to do it that
> way, rehydrate in apple juice. The number given below of ratio of fresh to
> dry is wrong. A pound of dried apples comes from 3.5 to 4 pounds of fresh.
> Adding two quarts of water to one pound of dried apples merely brings the
> hydration up to near where it started.
>
> Most commercial bakeries use either fresh, pre-cut apples, or frozen
> pre-cut apples. They come in large loose-top cans (like old-time pretzel
> or potato chip cans where you just lift off the top), peeled and usually
> already sugared. The wedge cut used for them is called a "pie-cut."

Do the bakeries get to choose the apple varieties, or are they pre-cut
"mystery apples"? Seems like if you can't control that part of the equation
you're once again dealing with the problem of inconsistent apples.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
> Do the bakeries get to choose the apple varieties, or are they pre-cut
> "mystery apples"? Seems like if you can't control that part of the equation
> you're once again dealing with the problem of inconsistent apples.

Commercial dehy apples usually get a USDA grade (because they contain
anti-oxidants), fresh apples mostly do not, usually only imports do.
The typical consumer may not realize it but the vast majority of apples
grown in the US get dehydrated, same as most garlic... reason should be
obvious to all but some certain blowhard know-nothing dagos... fresh
apples rot, dehys have a shelf life of virtually forever. Most
commercial food products containing apples use dehys (granulated dehy
apple is a biggie)... do yoose really think apples are only used
during apple harvest time... and it's cheaper to dehy than
refrigerate... and which do you think requires less warehouse space,
and transport costs. Dehy apples is a huge business, with strict
controls. The dehy factorys get first pick of the crop, in fact they
often specify the crop way in advance, years, many years.
Dehy apples are typically pie apples, that's what the dehy factorys
specify... do yoose really think the dehy factorys are going to waste
their resources drying crappy apples.
The reason dehy apples have more intense apple flavor is the same
reason many dehy foods do, anyone with even a modicum of food science
knowlege would know, they cannot be fully rehydrated. Dehydration is
the oldest food preservation method, dehy apples and other dehy fruit
have been prefered since before the first humans... herbivores will
almost always choose dehys first (unless there's a drought), nutrition
is more concentrated, and animals know it because so is the aroma and
flavor more concentrated as well... even a retarded monkey knows more
than a WOP.

Before knocking dehys for apple pie try it. You'll never go back. And
if you don't like my recipe, search the net, there are tons, all
slightly different... most all the back to basics type mags have
articles and recipes for dehys... in fact I urge you to develop your
own recipes... I only offered a starting point, a guide if you will,
which is what all recipes are... anyone implys there's only one way to
cook can't.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/standards/dhyaples.pdf

Sheldon

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Bob (this one) wrote:
>
>
>>Dehydrated apples are too inconsistent to use reliably, and you never know
>>what kind of apples they were made from. Adding plain water (see below) to
>>them to rehydrate means that you've merely restored the missing water. No
>>flavor concentration, no flavor improvement. If you're going to do it that
>>way, rehydrate in apple juice. The number given below of ratio of fresh to
>>dry is wrong. A pound of dried apples comes from 3.5 to 4 pounds of fresh.
>>Adding two quarts of water to one pound of dried apples merely brings the
>>hydration up to near where it started.
>>
>>Most commercial bakeries use either fresh, pre-cut apples, or frozen
>>pre-cut apples. They come in large loose-top cans (like old-time pretzel
>>or potato chip cans where you just lift off the top), peeled and usually
>>already sugared. The wedge cut used for them is called a "pie-cut."
>
>
> Do the bakeries get to choose the apple varieties, or are they pre-cut
> "mystery apples"? Seems like if you can't control that part of the equation
> you're once again dealing with the problem of inconsistent apples.

High-end packers specify the kinds in their packaging. The lower-end
ones are just labelled as apples and are likely mixed varieties.

Pastorio

Sheldon wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
>> Do the bakeries get to choose the apple varieties, or are they
>> pre-cut "mystery apples"? Seems like if you can't control that
>> part of the equation you're once again dealing with the problem of
>> inconsistent apples.
>
> Commercial dehy apples usually get a USDA grade (because they contain
> anti-oxidants)

All fruit, fresh and dried contain nutritive anti-oxidants. Or, can
Sheldon mean preservatives to keep them from browning? Nothing is graded
depending on preservatives or nutritive anti-oxidants.

> http://www.ams.usda.gov/standards/dhyaples.pdf

There's no mention of antioxidants on this site.

> fresh apples mostly do not, usually only imports do.

Fresh fruit gets USDA grade labelling.
<http://www.ams.usda.gov/howtobuy/fruit.htm>
"Grade designations are most often seen on packages of pears and apples.
Other fruits occasionally carry the grade designations.

"U.S. Fancy Fancy means premium quality. Only a small percentage of
fruits are packed in this grade.

"U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 1 means good quality and is the most commonly used
grade for most fruits.

"U.S. No. 2 and U.S. No. 3 U.S. No. 2 is noticeably superior to U.S. No.
3 which is the lowest grade practical to pack under normal commercial
conditions."

Apple grades and sizes:
<http://www.usapple.org/consumers/appleguide/grades.shtml>

> The typical consumer may not realize it but the vast majority of
> apples grown in the US get dehydrated,

<LOL> And the bullshit beat goes on...

"# Sixty-two percent of the 2002 U.S. apple crop was eaten as fresh fruit.
"# 39 percent of apples are processed into apple products; 21 percent of
this is for juice and cider."
<http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/facts.html>

Looks like, lessee, 39% is made into apple products of which 21% is made
into juice. That leaves 18% that could be made into dehydrated apples.
That's a "vast majority"... right? On some planet.

Idiot.

> same as most garlic... reason should be obvious to all but some
> certain blowhard know-nothing dagos...

<LOL>

> fresh apples rot, dehys have a shelf life of virtually forever.

Apples kept in cold houses last from one growing season to the next.
Farm families kept theirs over winter that way. Still do.

> Most commercial food products containing apples use dehys (granulated
> dehy apple is a biggie)... do yoose really think apples are only
> used during apple harvest time... and it's cheaper to dehy than
> refrigerate...

And more labor intensive, more energy intensive and more is lost to
processing. Apples are a cheap commodity, and other countries can
dehydrate them a lot more efficiently and cheaply than we can.

Dehydrated apples can only be used where the bite is more about the
pastry than the apples. Rehydrated apples don't eat like fresh-cooked.

> and which do you think requires less warehouse space, and transport
> costs. Dehy apples is a huge business, with strict controls. The
> dehy factorys get first pick of the crop,

<LOL> Sure they do. Pretty apples aren't that important to the retail
trade, right? Bwah...

> in fact they often specify the crop way in advance, years, many
> years. Dehy apples are typically pie apples, that's what the dehy
> factorys specify... do yoose really think the dehy factorys are going
> to waste their resources drying crappy apples.

"Apple Usage Chart
"As amazingly versatile as apples are generally, some apples are better
than others for specific uses. The following is a general guide to
recommended apples uses, developed based on industry consensus. Personal
preferences may vary."
<http://www.usapple.org/consumers/appleguide/variety.shtml>

> The reason dehy apples have more intense apple flavor is the same
> reason many dehy foods do, anyone with even a modicum of food science
> knowlege would know, they cannot be fully rehydrated.

They only have a more intense flavor if eaten out of hand. If
rehydrated, they just plump to near their original hydrated condition.
There's no concentration of flavor then. They can be overhydrated by
either osmotic pressure or diffusion.

> Dehydration is the oldest food preservation method, dehy apples and
> other dehy fruit have been prefered since before the first humans...
> herbivores will almost always choose dehys first (unless there's a
> drought)

They watch the weather channel in the evenings when chewing their cud.
That's how they know if there's a drought.

> nutrition is more concentrated, and animals know it because so is the
> aroma and flavor more concentrated as well...

<LOL> Herbivores eat plant materials. They tend not to be all that
fussy. The cattle on my farm eat anything they can chew. That leaves out
wild junipers, wild roses and teasels. Everything else is fair game.
Leaves on low-hanging branches. Drops (fruit of any kind that has fallen
from trees), grasses, flowers, saplings... Precisely where they're going
to find dehydrated fruit out in the fields is interesting to consider.
Like it'll be on the ground untouched long enough to dehydrate. No bugs
or birds on the farm, right?
Hilarious...

> even a retarded monkey knows more than a WOP.

Both of whom appear to know more than a mentally diseased pen collector
ashamed of being Jewish and mind-rottingly bigoted.

> Before knocking dehys for apple pie try it. You'll never go back.
> And if you don't like my recipe, search the net, there are tons, all
> slightly different... most all the back to basics type mags have
> articles and recipes for dehys... in fact I urge you to develop your
> own recipes... I only offered a starting point, a guide if you will,
> which is what all recipes are... anyone implys there's only one way
> to cook can't.
>
> http://www.ams.usda.gov/standards/dhyaples.pdf

There's no mention of antioxidants on this site. Besides, it's for
processors, not customers.

Have a lovely day

Pastorio

Bob (this one) wrote:

<snip>
>
>> fresh apples rot, dehys have a shelf life of virtually forever.
>
>
> Apples kept in cold houses last from one growing season to the next.
> Farm families kept theirs over winter that way. Still do.

S****** has no clue as to how people store food in rural areas. Root
veggies, squashes, ruttabeger, and apples are routinely stored from one
growing season to the next. Perhaps he should familiarize himself with
*cold storage* as in *root cellars*. We are not fortunate enough to
have a root cellar because of the high water table. DH built an
insulated cold closet in the garage to store these types of produce.


>
>> Most commercial food products containing apples use dehys (granulated
>> dehy apple is a biggie)... do yoose really think apples are only
>> used during apple harvest time... and it's cheaper to dehy than
>> refrigerate...
>
>
> And more labor intensive, more energy intensive and more is lost to
> processing. Apples are a cheap commodity, and other countries can
> dehydrate them a lot more efficiently and cheaply than we can.
>
> Dehydrated apples can only be used where the bite is more about the
> pastry than the apples. Rehydrated apples don't eat like fresh-cooked.

I can't comment on commercial dehydrated apples other than those in some
trail mixes. They are eaten in the dehydrated form. I routinely
dehydrate apple slices for snacking & floating in hot apple cider. I
can tell you they really don't rehydrate all that well. They certainly
would make a very decent apple pie!

>
>> and which do you think requires less warehouse space, and transport

<snip of S****** pie in the sky have no clue of an idea as usual
regarding this issue>

~patches~ wrote:
> Bob (this one) wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>>> fresh apples rot, dehys have a shelf life of virtually forever.
>>
>> Apples kept in cold houses last from one growing season to the next.
>> Farm families kept theirs over winter that way. Still do.
>
> S****** has no clue as to how people store food in rural areas. Root
> veggies, squashes, ruttabeger, and apples are routinely stored from one
> growing season to the next. Perhaps he should familiarize himself with
> *cold storage* as in *root cellars*. We are not fortunate enough to
> have a root cellar because of the high water table. DH built an
> insulated cold closet in the garage to store these types of produce.

Many of the old farm houses around me have spring houses and cold
cellars. "Ripe" butter that's been stored under cold water for a few
months to develop its flavor is a product vanishing with the generations
that made their own, but every now and again, somebody gives me some.

He thinks he knows all about this rural living because he lives away
from the bright lights and city ways. <LOL> Right. He proves it new
every day.

>>> Most commercial food products containing apples use dehys (granulated
>>> dehy apple is a biggie)... do yoose really think apples are only
>>> used during apple harvest time... and it's cheaper to dehy than
>>> refrigerate...
>>
>> And more labor intensive, more energy intensive and more is lost to
>> processing. Apples are a cheap commodity, and other countries can
>> dehydrate them a lot more efficiently and cheaply than we can.
>>
>> Dehydrated apples can only be used where the bite is more about the
>> pastry than the apples. Rehydrated apples don't eat like fresh-cooked.
>
>
> I can't comment on commercial dehydrated apples other than those in some
> trail mixes. They are eaten in the dehydrated form. I routinely
> dehydrate apple slices for snacking & floating in hot apple cider. I
> can tell you they really don't rehydrate all that well. They certainly
> would make a very decent apple pie!

Oh, they do, and it's a local tradition with farm families around here
to make dried apple pies and other sweet and savory apple dishes. This
is a large apple-growing area and has been for a long time.

Rehydrating them doesn't mean to restore them to the same state they
were in before drying. Cell walls are broken, so they won't hold water
as well. But they can hold a good bit of it. More if you thicken it a
bit with a combination of sugar and starch of some kind.

I don't much like the texture of rehydrated apples used in other
pastries. I've tried it in strudels and turnovers.

>>> and which do you think requires less warehouse space, and transport
>
> <snip of S****** pie in the sky have no clue of an idea as usual
> regarding this issue>

....and so many others. He just makes it up and expects to get away with
it. Seems to *want* the abuse his foolishness invites. Sick, sick guy...

Pastorio

On 3 Nov 2005 14:05:12 -0800, Kimberly wrote:

> I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?

Find the tartest apples you can and take it from there. I just found
a new one (to me) called a Pink Lady. It's a very good eating apple
and would make a decent pie too. Not as tart as the midwestern
McIntosh & Jonathans of my childhood, but very good all the same.

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 23:30:27 GMT, Lisa Smith wrote:

> Granny Smith is such a tart apple it needs something sweet to give it
> balance.

IMO, Granny Smith isn't all that "tart" and the sweet needed to
balance it is called sugar.

On 4 Nov 2005 00:55:34 +0100, Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> On Thu 03 Nov 2005 04:42:49p, sarah bennett wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
> >> I like a mix, Jonagolds, Golden Delicious, Braeburns with Granny Smith
> >> (not all at the same time!, just something mixed with the Granny
> >> Smith). The Granny Smith is such a tart apple it needs something sweet
> >> to give it balance. At the same time it provides a bit of tartness that
> >> gives the pie a little bit more complexity.
> >>
> >> Lisa aka Pagemaster
> >>
> >>
> >
> > I use granny smith exclusively, but I like a tart pie
> >
>
> If anyone gets stuck with bland apples, try adding 1/2 - 1 cup of fresh raw
> cranberries. Makes an amazing pie.

I few squirts of fresh lemon juice perks it up too.

On Sat 05 Nov 2005 09:43:28a, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 4 Nov 2005 00:55:34 +0100, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> On Thu 03 Nov 2005 04:42:49p, sarah bennett wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>> >> I like a mix, Jonagolds, Golden Delicious, Braeburns with Granny
>> >> Smith (not all at the same time!, just something mixed with the
>> >> Granny Smith). The Granny Smith is such a tart apple it needs
>> >> something sweet to give it balance. At the same time it provides a
>> >> bit of tartness that gives the pie a little bit more complexity.
>> >>
>> >> Lisa aka Pagemaster
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> > I use granny smith exclusively, but I like a tart pie
>> >
>>
>> If anyone gets stuck with bland apples, try adding 1/2 - 1 cup of
>> fresh raw cranberries. Makes an amazing pie.
>
> I few squirts of fresh lemon juice perks it up too.

Yes, an excellent picker-upper!


--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On 3 Nov 2005 14:05:12 -0800, Kimberly wrote:
>
> > I'm looking for the very best apples (or combination of apples) to use
> > in plain old apple pie....I've used Granny Smith but Braeburn, Throme
> > Empire and Ida Red were also recommended. Anyone have an opinion?
>
> Find the tartest apples you can and take it from there. I just found
> a new one (to me) called a Pink Lady. It's a very good eating apple
> and would make a decent pie too. Not as tart as the midwestern
> McIntosh & Jonathans of my childhood, but very good all the same.

Yep, Pink Ladies are one of my newest discoveries; I've mentioned 'em in
several previous posts. They're tasty, make great applesauce (not yet made
a pie) and look "right purty" too, with their hint of pink blush. They're
an ingredient in a Chipotle Apple Nut Cake I'm in the process of making
right now.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Bob (this one) wrote:
Seems to *want* the abuse his foolishness invites. Sick, sick guy...
>
> Pastorio

And it seems to me you have a strong need to be seen as someone who
knows it all too. At least he doesn't cross post his rants.

sf wrote:


>> If anyone gets stuck with bland apples, try adding 1/2 - 1 cup of fresh raw
>> cranberries. Makes an amazing pie.
>
>
> I few squirts of fresh lemon juice perks it up too.

That's what JoC suggest to perk up dull apples. I love their basic apple
pie recipe.
Goomba

Bob (this one) wrote:

> ~patches~ wrote:
>
>> Bob (this one) wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>>> fresh apples rot, dehys have a shelf life of virtually forever.
>>>
>>>
>>> Apples kept in cold houses last from one growing season to the next.
>>> Farm families kept theirs over winter that way. Still do.
>>
>>
>> S****** has no clue as to how people store food in rural areas. Root
>> veggies, squashes, ruttabeger, and apples are routinely stored from
>> one growing season to the next. Perhaps he should familiarize himself
>> with *cold storage* as in *root cellars*. We are not fortunate enough
>> to have a root cellar because of the high water table. DH built an
>> insulated cold closet in the garage to store these types of produce.
>
>
> Many of the old farm houses around me have spring houses and cold
> cellars. "Ripe" butter that's been stored under cold water for a few
> months to develop its flavor is a product vanishing with the generations
> that made their own, but every now and again, somebody gives me some.
>
> He thinks he knows all about this rural living because he lives away
> from the bright lights and city ways. <LOL> Right. He proves it new
> every day.
>
>>>> Most commercial food products containing apples use dehys (granulated
>>>> dehy apple is a biggie)... do yoose really think apples are only
>>>> used during apple harvest time... and it's cheaper to dehy than
>>>> refrigerate...
>>>
>>>
>>> And more labor intensive, more energy intensive and more is lost to
>>> processing. Apples are a cheap commodity, and other countries can
>>> dehydrate them a lot more efficiently and cheaply than we can.
>>>
>>> Dehydrated apples can only be used where the bite is more about the
>>> pastry than the apples. Rehydrated apples don't eat like fresh-cooked.
>>
>>
>>
>> I can't comment on commercial dehydrated apples other than those in
>> some trail mixes. They are eaten in the dehydrated form. I routinely
>> dehydrate apple slices for snacking & floating in hot apple cider. I
>> can tell you they really don't rehydrate all that well. They
>> certainly would make a very decent apple pie!
>
>
> Oh, they do, and it's a local tradition with farm families around here
> to make dried apple pies and other sweet and savory apple dishes. This
> is a large apple-growing area and has been for a long time.

Well, I stand corrected and will have to try a pie using dehydrated
apples. I normally can up jars of apple pie filling. We are in a large
apple-growing area as well. Getting apples from the orchards year round
is not a problem so I never thought of dehydrating for apple pies.

>
> Rehydrating them doesn't mean to restore them to the same state they
> were in before drying. Cell walls are broken, so they won't hold water
> as well. But they can hold a good bit of it. More if you thicken it a
> bit with a combination of sugar and starch of some kind.
>
> I don't much like the texture of rehydrated apples used in other
> pastries. I've tried it in strudels and turnovers.
>
>>>> and which do you think requires less warehouse space, and transport
>>
>>
>> <snip of S****** pie in the sky have no clue of an idea as usual
>> regarding this issue>
>
>
> ....and so many others. He just makes it up and expects to get away with
> it. Seems to *want* the abuse his foolishness invites. Sick, sick guy...
>

Amen
> Pastorio

On Sat, 5 Nov 2005 10:44:09 -0800, Spitzmaus wrote:

> Yep, Pink Ladies are one of my newest discoveries; I've mentioned 'em in
> several previous posts.

Exactly, WHO are you? Are you another morphed regular poster who
neglected to mention morphing?

sf wrote:
> On Sat, 5 Nov 2005 10:44:09 -0800, Spitzmaus wrote:
>
> > Yep, Pink Ladies are one of my newest discoveries; I've mentioned 'em in
> > several previous posts.
>
> Exactly, WHO are you? Are you another morphed regular poster who
> neglected to mention morphing?

Spitzmaus posted all of five (5) times in as many days... a
NEWBIE-LIAR.

Sheldon

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 5 Nov 2005 10:44:09 -0800, Spitzmaus wrote:
>
>> Yep, Pink Ladies are one of my newest discoveries; I've mentioned
>> 'em in
>> several previous posts.
>
> Exactly, WHO are you? Are you another morphed regular poster who
> neglected to mention morphing?

Yers!!

O gets out her bright light and shines it in Spitsmaus' eyes and winks
at sf!!!

Ve haf vays off makink you talk