Crazy about Recipes Crazy about apples of selected quality Crazy apples ideas challenges of selected facts quality anecdotes Crazy about apples of selected quality Recipes, ideas, challenges, facts, anecdotes Our most common varieties Jonagold Pinova and Evelina Fuji and Fuji Kiku Sweet apples with a mildly sour taste, Apples of similar taste. Both are Apples with firm flesh that are distinguished by juiciness and elegant crispy juicy, of sweeter taste with mild distinguished by their juicy and sweet aroma that are especially enhanced in sourness and a characteristic pleasant taste, perfected with just the right amount desserts and juices. The variety ripens in aroma, especially suitable for sweets of sourness. The pleasant aromatic fruits mid-September and keeps until the end and compotes. The variety ripens at the can be served in sweet and salty foods and of February. end of September and can be very well compotes. The variety ripens in mid- stored. October and keeps until April. Idared Elstar Gala With its attractive red colour, white The large fruits of this apple tree have Sweet apples of beautiful red-yellow finely grained flesh, pleasant juiciness a sweet-sour flavour with a rich aroma colour, which convince us with their and sourness, it is a popular and the most and are delightful in salads and apple crunchy, refreshing juicy flesh and a represented variety on the Slovenian horseradish. The flesh is of pleasant gentle aroma. We nibble on them just market that is a delight to cook when grainy texture, juicy, crispy, and for the fun of it, they are appropriate for making applesauce or compote. The medium firm. The variety ripens in early roasted stuffed apples, strudels and pies. variety ripens in the beginning of September, but has to be enjoyed during The variety ripens at the end of August October and keeps until the end of May. the season as it stores poorly and keeps and keeps until the end of December. only until the end of December. 2 Braeburn Golden Delicious Delicious apples of sour taste with firm Characterized by a harmonious sweet and juicy meat, which refreshes and flavour with fine fruit acid. This juicy and quenches one’s thirst throughout the crunchy apple is popular with consumers whole winter as they can be well kept. and goes perfectly in desserts and with They are appropriate for salads and as cheeses. The variety ripens at the end of an addition to cold cuts. The variety September and keeps all year long. ripens in mid-October and until the end of March. Topaz Carjevič Granny smith These smaller red apples are An old variety of small sweet-sour Characteristically emphasized acidic synonymous with organic apples. They apples of a light green basic colour with taste, juicy, fresh and crispy when bitten. have an excellent sweet-sour taste and red spots. The apples are of noble taste The variety’s most loyal customers are a pleasant aroma. Due to the softer and unique smell, ideal for snacks and younger consumers and no salad or flesh, they are a very pleasant snack and desserts and are in season from late sandwich exist that could not be made appropriate for applesauce and fillings. September on, which is when we enjoy more interesting or refreshing by it. It The variety ripens in the beginning them, as they keep until mid-January. ripens in the second half of October and of October and keeps until the end of keeps throughout the year. February. 3 Why are we crazy about apples? Apples convince us monasteries and castles. Valvasor stated that with their nutritional value in the 17th century, hundreds of varieties of apples were known in Carniola. During It has always been known that apples have a the time of the enlightened Empress Maria positive effect on health and many sayings Theresa, the importance of a systematic mix food recommendations with tradition cultivation of fruit trees and the cultivating and superstitions. Apples contain about discipline was recognized alongside 85% water and have only about 251 kJ/60 compulsory schooling. kcal, with glucose and fructose being the main sugars. They are rich in vitamins A, Traditionally good vitamins of the B group (B1, B2, B3, B5 and The Slovenians are traditionally successful B6) and vitamin C. Most of the vitamin C, in fruit cultivation; however, our climate is namely six times more than in the apple especially favourable for apples: the fertile flesh, is in the skin just below the surface soil and great temperature differences of the peel. The peel also contains the most between hot days and cold nights of (more than two thirds) of fibres, as well as the continental climate make the fruits almost all the antioxidants. particularly sweet and aromatic. Apples have always been good for us. It is simple The original homeland of apples is the Place a big bowl of apples in the middle of the Middle East. The healing power of apples table: the home will smell pleasantly and the was known to the Egyptians, who planted colourful round fruits act as the finest table apple trees along the Nile River. The ancient decoration. Apples are accessible, we can Greeks and Romans wrote about them, get them in literally every food store and if exclaiming: “An apple a day keeps the they are distinguished by the label “selected doctor away,” a saying that was repeated quality”, we know that we are dealing with throughout Europe, all the way to the British apples that have grown on our soil under Isles. At first, apple trees were planted strict requirements of the “selected quality” randomly, but then, in the Middle Ages, scheme. the first orchards began to grow beside 4 Slovenian apples in the “Selected quality” scheme Slovenian fruit growers show their concern for the consumer with the “Selected quality” scheme. The trademark “Selected quality” of fruit ensures the consumers the superior quality products, additional monitoring of the production and processing of fruit and also confirms that the fruit is fully produced and processed in Slovenia. In order to be labelled with the “Selected quality – Slovenia” trademark, the apples must meet high quality criteria: the fruit of selected quality must be fully ripe when harvested, which gives the apples their “full of taste”, while the transport of the apples from the grower or the processor to the buyer on the local market is allowed in the range of no more than 250 km of air distance from the geometric centre of Slovenia (GEOSS). The composition of the soil on which the apples of selected quality are produced is especially controlled, while the use of plant protection products is limited to those used for integrated or organic production. The trademark “Selected quality – Slovenia” may be used exclusively by certified producers and processors of fruit whose production and processing are subject to additional control by the independent control organization. One should thus be careful when purchasing and pay attention to buying apples with the trademark “Selected quality – Slovenia”. 5 Couscous and apple salad Freshly picked from a tree, with morning cereal, on a pie, in a strudel etc., or even in a salad. Are you sceptical? Valentin Vodnik himself wrote in Kuharske Bukve (Cookery Books) about the salad from raw apples! Our apples in the salad will have a healthy company from the garden and be dressed with sesame sauce. That said, we are already on the way to the homeland of apples, Asia. The fact is that with apples, one travels around the world, despite staying in the home orchard. 200 g couscous Sauce: 300 ml water 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon honey 2 firm apples of “selected 2 tablespoons olive oil quality”, sour variety, e.g. 1 tablespoon lemon juice Braeburn or Granny Smith salt and pepper 1 fresh red beet by choice: 100 g fresh cheese 1 medium-size carrot from brine ground dry chilli 6 Boil water and add couscous. Mix, cover and take the pot off the stove. After 5 minutes, add butter and mix with a fork. Toss into a bowl. Cut the apple in half, hollow out the core and seeds, cut into thin slices and sprinkle with a few drops of lemon juice. Peel or scrape the red beet and carrot, cut into thin julienne strips. Toss sesame into a mortar and crush it somewhat to get a rough paste. Combine sauce ingredients with crushed sesame seeds in a small bowl and whisk to get a uniform cream. In the bowl, mix the apple, beet and carrot and sprinkle with sauce. Place a pile of couscous on a plate and add the apple salad. By choice, serve the meal with grated young cheese and sprinkle with chilli. Challenge: Try the recipe with Braeburn and Granny Smith variety. Which variety do you find better for the recipe? Short transport routes from the orchard to the table of apples of selected quality do not burden the environment.. 7 Salad with raw apples Put beautiful peeled apples, called “taselne”, in cold water to keep them white; cut them in thin oblong long slices, sprinkle with sugar drizzled with lemon, add Portuguese juice or wine made of apple residue and mix; the salad is prepared. Valentin Vodnik, Kuharske bukve (Cookery Books) Baked soft cheese with almonds for apple dipping Cheese and apple are the best couple. The apples make a harmonious whole with the full flavour of cheese and gourmands take it even a step further: Brie with delicate green Granny Smith, gorgonzola with Kanadka apples, mature Emmentaler Swiss cheese with sweet red varieties.