Fruit of the land

The Honeycrisp has become the Kim Kardashian of the apple world: It came out of nowhere, relatively recently (it was released commercially in the ’90s), and with some marketing brilliance, took the fruit world by storm.

Of course, there’s a good reason people keep coming back to the Honeycrisp. It’s sweet, uncontroversial, and delicious.

It flies off the shelves, and keeps really well, which is why growers love it, too. Sort of. “Honeycrisp is by far the favorite apple,” says Melissa Allen of Beechwood Orchards in Adams County. “We pick them in September and hold them in storage. They stay crisp and juicy forever. Everyone will cry when they are out.”

There is no missing the hint of resentment in Allen’s voice. Like many growers, she and her family cultivate dozens of varieties, and have worked hard to convince the public that there is more to life than the Honeycrisp.

Apples have been falling off the trees for months, but now, in the prime of the season, there’s all the more reason to try something new. “There’s an apple for everyone,” says Allen.

Taking a bite out of the myriad of options is particularly easy if you live where we do. Pennsylvania is the nation’s fourth-largest apple-producing state, according to the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program, with the nearby counties of Adams, York, Berks, Lehigh, Lancaster, Schuylkill, Cumberland, and Chester being some of most prolific. Apple-growing has been important in Pennsylvania since the 1800s, and there are about 300 commercial apple growers, producing about 10 million bushels every year, even in years with wacky, wet weather like this one.

Every eater has a favorite type. Macouns, which are great eating apples, have a cult following. Smokehouse is great for cooking. Suncrisps taste like green grapes, and keep for up to six months. Pink Ladies are large and will be picked in November. If you see it, try a Ginger Gold, even if you aren’t a green apple fan. It is crisp and much sweeter than than you might expect.

Pears also thrive in our region but are harder to grow and harder to sell, so are less abundant. But no less delicious. Many apple-orchard owners also grow pears, with Bartlett, Seckel, and Bosc common types, although the conditions for pear-growing are better (basically, less buggy) in the western states. (Check out the accompanying story on the Asian pears that are grown, surprisingly, in our region.)

While many supermarkets support local farmers, to find the most varieties of apples and pears you might have to look a little harder. A decade ago, Beechwood, a fifth-generation family-owned orchard in Adams County, was selling most of its bushels to the big guys, such as Musselman’s, for commercial use. But over the last few years, as owner Dave Garretson’s kids have gotten into the business, they decided to reduce commercial sales, concentrate on growing heritage varieties, and sell directly to consumers. They have a strong showing at many area farmer’s markets. It is a trend occurring all over the state.

Trucking apples, pears, quince, garlic, applesauce, and cider to farmer’s markets makes for long days. “It’s harder, but more satisfying,” says Garretson, shining an apple on his green shirt at the Tuesday South and Passyunk Farmer’s Market. “You get so many compliments. You come home feeling good.”

Being able to chat with shoppers is the best marketing tool growers have. While their customers reach into barrels, they answer questions, offer samples and spread the word about their apples, especially the heritage varieties, which many producers are committed to. Calling something heritage, in the apple world, means it is at least 50 years old. As the supermarket, mass-market industry boomed over the last century, growers started cultivating apples with sales in mind. The favorites became the ones with consistent shapes, in vibrant, uniform reds and greens, such as the picture-perfect Red Delicious. “They were going for a color, shape, and size, more than a flavor,” says Allen. “They were very marketable.”

But now, consumers are starting to care less about looks and more about taste. So even if that Ida Red or Northern Spy is a little bruised, there’s probably gold inside. You can’t judge an apple by its skin.

Even a supermarket such as Whole Foods, which is dedicated to local produce, might not have the variety that the co-ops, farm stands, and farmer’s markets have, mostly because their organic commitment can be limiting.

Many apple producers are not organic. Orchards such as Three Springs Fruit Farm in Adams County, Beechwood, and Hollabaugh Brothers in Biglerville, practice integrated pest management), meaning they are committed to being more responsible with pesticides, using natural techniques to track when their harvest needs a spraying, and using the least harmful chemicals possible.

Beechwood has a loyal following. Find their apples (and Dave or his kids, Melissa and Shawn) at the South and Passyunk, University of Pennsylvania, Rittenhouse, and Headhouse farmer’s markets. They also have an impressive display at the Fair Food Farmstand, and co-ops such as Weavers Way and Swarthmore.

Visiting one of these places is a great opportunity to branch out, says Allen. “Don’t get stuck in Honeycrisp, Honeycrisp, Honeycrisp!”

 

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Where Asian pears took root

Subarashii Kudamono Orchard in Coopersburg, Pa., is an unlikely pear success story. It grows Asian pears, the grandfather of all pear varieties, and says it is the third-largest producer of Far East varieties in the country.

What started as a hobby in the ’70s eventually became a business. Now, Subarashii grows many types of Asian pears, and has created five varieties – AsaJu, JunoSan, SuSan, EliSan and LilySan – which are its exclusively.

According to Holly Harter at Subarashii, it was Europeans who took the Asian pear, which is round, like an orange, and gave it the bell-like shape we associate with the fruit today. Asian pears tend to be crunchy and crisp, more like jicama, than Bosc or Bartlett pears.

The people at Subarashii spend a lot of time educating the public about their products. They often suggest trying an Asian pear in place of other fruit, as with prosciutto, cooked down as a sweet sauce for meat, or paired with cheese.

Subarashii doesn’t sell his fruit on the farmer’s market circuit, but its products can be found, delicately wrapped, at restaurants such as Talula’s Table and Pumpkin, through the website wonderfulfruit.com, at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal, as well as at supermarkets including Wegmans.

– Ashley Primis

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Dutch Baby

Makes 4 servings

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