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Intro – Brief History of  The Apple

Apples have long played a prominent role in global cultural traditions and mythologies. Their presence in the biblical account of Adam and Eve, as well as in cultural practices like the Chinese New Year, shows their enduring relevance. The domesticated apple, Malus pumila, traces its ancestry to the Tian Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan, with evidence of cultivation spanning approximately 10,000 years. Modern cultivated apples are descended from Malus sieversii, the wild progenitor species of apples. Apples slowly spread from their center of origin through Mesopotamia and the Indian subcontinent, and subsequently into Europe and East Asia. Their genetic diversity expanded, particularly during periods of colonial expansion. Currently, there are an estimated 7,500 apple varieties worldwide, each characterized by distinct attributes including flavor, texture, and aroma.

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Plant Science 101 – What is an apple?

To better understand the culinary uses of apples, it is essential first to consider their biological structure. While all living organisms are composed of cells, plant cells have several key differences compared to animal cells, particularly in terms of energy acquisition and cellular architecture. Unlike animals, plants derive energy through a process called photosynthesis, which is facilitated by their leaves. Plants are stationary, so nature needed to adapt. These fundamental differences in cellular composition and function lead plants, including apples, to respond variably to heat and other culinary processes. For example, heating can result in textures ranging from crisp and firm to soft and mushy, sometimes even within the same apple variety. To explain this variability, it is necessary to examine the specific anatomical features of plant cells.

• Cell Wall: a rigid outside ring around the cell membrane found only in plant cells in order to provide support
• Cytoplasm: a fluid within the cell that holds all the important “machinery” of the cell
• Vacuole: a large liquid liquid-filled blob in a cell filled with enzymes, sugars, acids, or proteins
• Chloroplasts: green-filled sacks found in leaves, responsible for photosynthesis
• Chromoplasts: concentrate red, yellow and orange pigments
• Amyloplasts: Contain starch

So how can we use this in the kitchen? Taste mostly comes from what the vacuole of the cell contains. Enzymes, sugars, acids, and plant proteins can all be found in varying amounts and quantities within the vacuole. These contents are registered via taste receptors on our tongue when we chew food. These tastes are the classic sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory).  A plant’s texture largely depends on how much of the cell the vacuole occupies, the rigidity of the cell wall, and whether there are starch particles present in the cell or not. Most other components of the plant’s cell affect the nutritional value of the plant and that plant’s aroma. Taste, texture, and aroma are the three elements that combine to create the “flavor” when we eat. So let’s take a look at the apple specifically.

Apples, like all fruit, are developed from a plant’s flower, which is how the plant reproduces. Once the flower is pollinated, it starts to transform. During that transformation, the flower develops into the seed core of the apple, gradually surrounded by sugar-filled storage cells to make the fruit more appealing to mammals. The content of vacuoles in these storage cells determines whether an apple is bitter, sweet, or both. Soon after, the crisp outer skin begins to form. This skin holds higher concentrations of chromoplasts and chloroplasts, which are responsible for the color of the apple, and contribute to most of the health benefits of the apple.  As the fruit ripens, acids and alcohols inside the apple’s cells begin to combine and form what is called an ester. In apples, Ethyl Acetate is the ester responsible for giving apples their signature sweet and fruity aroma. Besides esters, apples are primarily composed of water, sugars, phenolic compounds, and an organic acid known as pectin. At this point, the apple is ripe and ready to be picked and enjoyed! Now that we understand the building blocks of apples, we can use that knowledge to understand how each apple differs from the others, enabling us to determine best which type of apple to buy.

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Apple Purchasing Guide – How to buy the best apples

When purchasing apples, ask yourself, do you plan to cook with this apple or eat it fresh? If you plan to cook with the apple, you will want to choose an apple with more pectin. Pectin is a soluble plant fiber that binds cell walls to one another. The reason you want pectin when cooking apples is that the pectin will help keep the cell walls intact when heated. This will help prevent the apple cells from breaking down and leaking juices into whatever you are cooking. Unless you are looking for an apple sauce texture, look for apples without pectin. An easy way to determine whether an apple is better for cooking or eating raw is by its bitterness level, where more bitterness usually indicates higher pectin content. Regardless of whether you plan to eat the apple raw or cook it, there are some common signs to look for to judge an apple’s quality:

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How to store and prep Apples

Apples, being a late summer early fall crop, like to be stored in cool temperatures. You want them to be kept close to freezing temperatures. Apples kept at room temperature will spoil 3 to 5 times faster than apples that are kept cool. They also like to be kept humid, between 90 to 95%. Keeping them in a fruit or vegetable drawer, a plastic bag, or a container will help keep the apples moist and from shriveling up.  If kept in optimal temperatures, apples can last 3 to 6 months. Giving you fresh, delicious fruit to enjoy all winter long!

When it comes to prepping apples for cooking, there is really only one thing to note, and it is probably one of the first things you think of when you think of an apple. That would be the browning of apples after cutting or biting into them. This occurs due to the same oxidation process that turned the Statue of Liberty green(ish) and happens to all things exposed to oxygen.  So, why exactly does this happen, and how can we prevent it when cutting apples? Remember the vacuole from before? Well, when the vacuole of a cell breaks down, phenols are released. Once released and exposed to the oxygen in the air, they react and cause browning.  So what can be done about it?? For one, cooking the apple above 190°F will eliminate the browning process entirely. But what if you wanted to eat fresh apples? A little bit of an acid, like lemon juice, poured on the apple slices will slow down the browning process!! The acid lowers the pH on the apple’s surface, which reduces the activity of polyphenol oxidase and slows the oxidation of phenolic compounds which prevents the apple from oxidizing!

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Tips and tricks for cooking Apples

When it comes to cooking with apples, more often than not, you are baking something. Yes, some recipes will have you sauté an apple or caramelize it, but by far the most common method for cooking apples is baking them with some pastry in the oven. From fritters to pies, apples are a staple in the baker’s autumn kitchen. When baking with apples, you have two options. You can either pre-cook the apples slightly before baking them with the rest of the pie/pastry. Alternatively, you can bake it directly with the rest of the ingredients. Baking the apples beforehand can give you a far softer apple in the final product. The usual method is to blanch the apples in boiling water, then immediately submerge them in an ice bath to stop further cooking. Once cooled, you can incorporate them into whatever you are baking. If you are less worried about all the apples remaining intact and firm, try an assortment of different apples and colors to add a more complex flavor to the dish.

So what goes well with apples? When it comes to combining flavors, some great combinations with apples include:

• Butter – enriches mouthfeel and complements baked apple notes
• Caramel  – provides a sweet, complex counterpoint to tart apple varieties
• Cinnamon – imparts warmth and highlights sweetness.
• Cream – offers a rich textural contrast
• Honey – enhances natural sweetness
• Lemon – sharpens flavor while preventing the browning of exposed fruit.
• Nutmeg – often paired with cinnamon, adds aromatic complexity to stewed or baked apple dishes
• Pecans/pine nuts – introduce nutty undertones and go great with a baked pastry
• Pumpkin – provides a complementary sweetness and earthiness.

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TLDR

Apples possess a rich historical legacy and are integral to diverse culinary traditions worldwide. The combination of aroma, texture, and taste determines the flavor of an apple. The aroma of an apple arises chiefly from volatile compounds such as Ethyl Acetate and contributes significantly to the characteristic sweet and fruity scent of apples. The texture of an apple should be firm, juicy, and a contrast between its robust exterior and tender interior. The structural pectin content is a critical factor influencing texture, as it dictates the cell wall integrity. The flavor profile of apples ranges from sweet to bitter, both of which vary by apple variety. That sums up cooking with apples! What fall creations do you plan on making with apples?