It’s prime time for English apples, but do you know your Russet from your Elstar? Here’s the low down…
How’s your fruit bowl looking? More particularly, how are your apples? Are they supermarket bright but bland, or have you harvested your own or bought from a local grower?
The latter will reward you with the UK’s great apple bounty, varieties such as Egremont Russet (sweet, crisp and nutty for the cheese board and wonderful cooked with warm spice flavours); Elstar (Dutch in origin, grown here and juicy, sweet and honeyed for tarte tatin); Spartan (a wonderful eater); and Worcester Pearmain (the choice for juicing). The UK’s orchards yield every type of apple imaginable, from sharp to sweet, fluffy to firm, and now is the time to explore their bounty. All eating apples can be used in cooking, firm varieties like Cox and Granny Smith are perfect for a tart, while Bramley is the definitive variety for pies for its flavour and fluffy texture. Now is the time to explore our native harvest, so experiment with as many varieties as you can, and enjoy these recipes…
