Lady Apples

08-Nov-2006

I have been eying these little Lady Apples in my local grocery store for a couple of weeks. I don’t know anything about Lady Apples – except how absolutely adorable they are! Today I couldn’t resist any longer and just decided to pick a couple. I don’t know yet what I’ll do with them – probably just eat them as is to see what they taste like – but I wanted to show you just how cute and petite they are!

Here’s a little info from Produce Pete:

Lady Apple Lady Apples are the oldest variety known, first cultivated by the Romans. The French loved them and thought they were a royal apple; early American colonists thought of them as a symbol of wealth. Lady Apples are not available everywhere, but where they are, they make their appearance just before Thanksgiving and stay until Christmas. Very small, with bright red and yellow coloring, they are a cheerful holiday fruit that’s fun to eat (two bites is all it takes). Don’t peel Lady Apples because the peel adds to the winey, semisweet taste of the flesh. You can cook them with lamb, pork, or ham, use them as a garnish, or add them to roasted vegetables such as potatoes. My mother used to drop them into our Christmas stockings and use them as ornaments on the tree. They also look especially pretty on a wreath. Left out, they dry nicely; refrigerated, they last up to four weeks.

4 Comments

BH permalink

09-Nov-2006 4:54 pm

Cool photo! Hey, I owe you an e-mail from September. Geez, I can\’t believe that. I don\’t check that account that much anymore. Arrgh!

Question for you: Do you have a wicked recipe for Chicken Mole\’? I\’m on a quest.

Hope you\’re staying dry.

Cheers,
BH
Culinary permalink

11-Nov-2006 4:38 pm

Hey BH!
Good to hear from you. Yeah – as you know – sometimes those little breaks just have a life of their own…

As for Chicken Mole, let me think just a bit – I\’m not at home at the moment and have already been through a champagne tasting and am getting ready for an entire champagne based party this evening! ;-) No thinking until sometime tomorrow…

~ B
Donna permalink

13-Apr-2008 9:38 pm

Does anyone know if I can get lady apples in Northwest Arkansas? I would like to turn them into carmel apples for wedding favors.

Thanks
Donna
Culinary permalink

14-Apr-2008 5:56 am

Hi Donna,
I imagine they are available there but they seem to be very seasonal so may not be around on a regular basis. The best thing to do would be to contact your local produce people and see what they can do for you.

~ B