Due to the very poor apple crop this season here in Michigan I didn't know if I would get my hands on any new varieties of apple this fall. Last fall I got a chance to review a slew of heirloom apples grown in Midland, Michigan. But as the calendar hit October, a new variety still hadn't hit my taste buds. Good news came last week, when at work we got 3 varieties of apples from Poverty Lane Orchards out of Lebanon, New Hampshire. I had never had any of these 3, so I was excited.
First up, the Pomme Grise apple. As you might assume by the name this apple has a French origin. It is believed to be related to an old lost French variety, Reinette Grise. It was grown in the St. Lawrence Valley for years before making it's way into New York. Thomas Jefferson grew this variety at Monticello!
It's name is French for Gray Apple. While the color isn't exactly gray it does have a lot of russetting on it's skin with gold and green undertones. It is a small apple that has a slightly flatten shape. The skin is on the thick skin. The thick skin is probably what gives this apple it's longer shelf live. It ripens in September.
I found this apple at the Produce Station in Ann Arbor, MI. They were grown by Poverty Lane Orchards in New Hampshire.
My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
[table]
Aspect, Score
Crispiness, 5
Tartness, 3
Apple Flavor, 9
Sweetness, 8
Juiciness, 4
[/table]
Overall Feeling: The apple has a rich, nutty flavor to it. It has that apple taste that you don't find in the most modern varieties. It's sweet and spicy. It's small size makes it's a nice little quick snack apple. As for cooking with this apple the only downside I can see is that it's small size means you will need a lot of them, which means more work. It's small size may make a challenge to peel. They are good enough to just eat right out of hand.
Here are some apple related kitchen tools I recommend:
Amco Dial-A-Slice Adjustable Apple Corer and Slicer
: Allows you to slice apples into either 8 or 16 pieces
Zyliss Soft Skin Peeler
: The best peeler I have ever owned. Does a great job peeling an apple.
Mirro Foley 2-Quart Stainless Steel Food Mill
: A great tool for making your own applesauce. You can make the sauce without having to do any peeling.
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