HEIRLOOM APPLES AND “THE DEVIL IN MIDWINTER”
In my paranormal romance “The Devil in Midwinter,” my
heroine Esmeralda is bound to serve her magician uncle for a period of seven
years. Uncle Oscar is something of a
plant wizard and he specializes in growing heirloom apples.
Once upon a time in America there were hundreds of strains
of apples. Varied in color and shape and size, these were eventually considered
problematic by grocers and fruit sellers, because they didn’t conform to the specifications of a “proper” apple,
which should be red, big and round. For
the past fifty years, apples have been bred for appearance, rather than flavor,
and we’re all the worse for it, in my opinion.
Luckily a few orchardists—like Esmeralda’s uncle—devote
themselves to trying to revive these ancient strains of misshapen but tasty
fruits. If you are ever lucky enough to
visit a heritage orchard, I urge to try as many of the apples as you can. They are not all pretty, but they are all
distinct and tasty. Here are some
varieties to check out:
Pitmason Pineapples – really do have a hint of pineapple
flavoring and a very sweet smell
Ashmead Kernal – tart and crisp, it typifies the “best”
apple flavor, although it is not at all an attractive fruit, having a rough exterior
Calville Blanc – mostly yellow, with little red dots on the
skin, this one smells fantastic, and makes a lovely pie
Hidden Rose – has pink flesh, it’s like biting into a dream
Heirloom apples are often site specific (many of them only
grow properly in certain areas of the country), so you can’t get all varieties
in all places. Most of them have not
been hybridized for cold storage (like Red and Golden Delicious apples) so you
can only get them at certain times. But heirloom varieties are worth
exploring. A good place to start is The
Heirloom Orchardist:
And Trees of Antiquity:
You can also contact orchards near you and ask if they grow
heritage fruits and when they have tastings.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this book! (ebook)
This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ
Striking cover, and yes, it's a pity that food's appearance is more important than flavour or nutrients.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway :-)
We stopped buying apples at the grocery store and started buying them from a local farm, and I couldn't believe the difference in taste.
ReplyDeleteTasty sounding apples
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Tasty sounding apples
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thank you for this giveaway and all you do... this book looks and sounds amazing
ReplyDeleteI've actually had a hidden rose apple and it was delicious. I'm now eager to try the others you've mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds really great and I'm eager to read it. Thanks for the giveaway.
fsteph55(at)yahoo(dot) com
this looks an awesome read!
ReplyDeleteSounds great. Thanks.
ReplyDeletemagic5905 at embarqmail dot com
I love the sound of this. I love apples too.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
i love the cover thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteangelrulez19@Yahoo.com
I love eating apples.. I eat one just about everyday... Thank you for the giveaway and I must say this cover is AMAZING
ReplyDeleteI look forward tor eading the book. email: robyndonnelly@ymail.com.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Looks and sounds like a great read!!
ReplyDelete