SC - fresh eggs?

[Par Leijonhufvud]

I got this information from Tip=World and thought I would pass it along.     
Phillipa

Although we now have over 300 varieties of apple in the world, only about 30 
of them are well known, and not even all of these are available in the United 
States. In the next few tips, you will find a helpful description (in 
alphabetical order) of the 15 most popular 
varieties, followed by suggestions of the most suitable ways for using them. 
If you are buying apples to be eaten within a week, look for those with 
unbruised and unbroken flesh and with no sign of insect damage. They don't 
need special storage--the fruit bowl on the counter will do just fine, 
providing you with your own real-life still life. If you prefer a chilled 
apple, store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. 

The Braeburn apple is a beautiful red dessert apple from New Zealand. 
Sometimes in grocery stores, the stickers on them will simply say "New 
Zealand," but be sure to distinguish it from the New Zealand Fuji apple, 
which is slightly more acidic. 

The Cortland is a cross between the McIntosh and the Ben Davis apples. It was 
developed around 1915 in upstate New York. It, too, is a crisp, red-skinned 
apple, yet it works for just about everything--fresh, cooked, baked, or 
frozen. 

The Egremont Russet, often called simply "Russet," is named for its golden 
russetted skin. Its scent is nutty, and its flesh has a fine, hard texture. 
It is one of the best eating apples, but it's also excellent in pies and 
tarts. 

The Empire is a light-textured and juicy American red dessert apple. Its 
flesh is crisp and pale green. 

The Fuji is also from New Zealand, but its flesh is crisper, juicier, and 
more aromatic than that of the Braeburn. It makes a wonderful snacking or 
dessert apple. Its skin is red with patches of yellow. 
 
 The Golden Delicious has been the best all-purpose apple since its discovery 
in West Virginia in 1914. It is sometimes called simply the Yellow Delicious. 

The Granny Smith has long been considered a dessert apple, because its hard, 
crisp flesh retains its shape during cooking, making it ideal for main 
dishes. The skin is tough, and it is the brightest green of all apples. 

The Greening was developed in Green's End, Rhode Island, at the turn of the 
18th century. It is a tart, yellow-green skinned apple used mainly for pies 
and cooking. 

The Ida-red is one you see everywhere in the fall. Why? Probably because it 
is easy to grow. But to tell the truth, it's a dull apple--dull for munching 
into, dull for cooking with. Keep shopping. 

The Jonathan is another good all-round variety. It has bright red skin 
streaked with orange and a creamy white flesh, sometimes with little bits of 
red in it. It is juicy, slightly tart, and suitable for both snacking and 
baking. 
 
 The McIntosh, another highly popular apple, was developed in Canada. With 
its flavorful, aromatic white, juicy, and crispy flesh, it is good both on 
its own or in desserts. 


The Opalescent, which arrives on the market in mid-September, is another 
bright red apple with a few small green spots. It is crisp and juicy, and 
good all by itself. 

The Red Delicious generally looks better than it tastes. While it does have a 
refreshing tartness, its skin is tough, and its flesh is crumbly, and 
sometimes it makes you say, "I can't swallow this." But if you come across a 
batch of Red Delicious apples that aren't too mealy, snag 'em up! 

The Rome Beauty is without a doubt America's favorite baking apple. It's a 
large, round, red apple that's not at all good fresh but keeps its shape and 
flavor when cooked. In addition, it absorbs flavors like a sponge and so is 
especially good in spicy pies and cakes. 

The Winesap lives up to its excellent name. It has a shiny, deep red skin, 
tinged with yellow. It's juicy and both sweet and tart, making it equally 
good as a munching apple and a baking apple. 
 
 
 Apples not only provided a vital source of food and drink, they were also an 
invaluable preservative for our pioneer ancestors' food and supplies. Apples 
were even used medicinally as anesthetics, antiseptics, sedatives, and 
stimulants. 

Below are a few tips for using apples that our ancestors knew well: 

An apple in your bag of potatoes will help keep the potatoes from sprouting. 

An apple in your brown sugar container will help to keep the sugar moist. 

An apple in your cookie jar will help to keep the cookies moist. 

Add lemon juice to an apple recipe if the apples you are using lack tartness 
or need flavor. 

If you cannot brush your teeth after a meal, eat an apple. Eating a raw apple 
will cleanse your mouth of more than 95 percent of bacteria that cause tooth 
decay.