resources
all about apples
Not only does Allen’s Orchard provide the Marion and Cedar Rapids area with delicious apples, fresh produce and tasty treats, we also have resources to help you make the most of your Orchard experience. With so many varieties of apples to choose from, we get a lot of questions about what apples are the best for each occasion. So here’s some info about the apples and some recipes to delight your friends and family!
Recipes
Back-to-School Oatmeal Apple Cookies
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter
4 eggs, well beaten
3 c. raisins, chopped, or currants
2 c. apples, unpeeled and chopped
1 c. oats, uncooked
3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. pecans, chopped
Thoroughly cream brown sugar and butter; add eggs and beat well. Add nuts to dry ingredients and combine with first mixture.
Chill overnight. Dough can be kept in refrigerator for several days and baked as needed. Drop cookies from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown around the edges.
Recipe courtesy of Cooks.com
Apple Dumplings
1 9X13 pan
2 – Large Apples
2- cans crescent rolls
1 ½ sticks butter, melted
¼ cup flour
2 tsp – cinnamon
1 ¼ cup sugar
1 – 12 oz can Sprite
Peel and core apples and slice each into 8 wedges.
Separate crescent triangles.
Place apple wedge at wide end of each triangle and roll up.
In a separate bowl mix: flour, sugar, cinnamon and add melted butter.
Spoon mixture from bowl over apples and pour Sprite over all.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Apple Muffins
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1 ½ cups peeled, chopped apples
Topping: ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg and beat well. Stir in milk.
In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and spices. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and blend until just moistened. (Batter will be lumpy.) Add apples to batter and blend carefully. Fill well-greased muffin tin. Sprinkle with sugar-and- cinnamon topping.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.
You Need:
- 1 large cooking pot
- Water
- Food Mill or Device for the sauce to go through
- Apple Slicer
- Apples of your choice
- Bowl to collect the sauce
- Optional: Apple Peeler – if you do not want to cook with the peels on the apples
Directions:
1. Wash apples
2. Fill up pan with 1 inch of water and cider and set on the stove
3. Core apples and put in a pan
4. Bring water and apples to a low boil and cook until the apples become soft
– Apples should cook down and become mushy – they are then ready to go through the food mill.
5. Put the food mill over a bowl and scoop in a spoonful of apples into the mill
6. Process the apples through the mill
– You will need to reverse the mill to scrape out the apple peels. Discard the peels into a trash can.
7. If you have used red apples the sauce will be pink as it has taken on the color of the skins.
8. Store in a refrigerator container and serve as desired or freeze in freezer-safe bags.
9. Add sugar and cinnamon as desired.
ENJOY!
apple varieties
Allen’s is proud to offer over 50 varieties of apples.
At Allen’s visitors will be able to enjoy some old favorites like Jonathan, Red Delicious, and Cortland while capturing the flavor of newer, not so familiar varieties such as Sweet Sixteen, Lura Red, and Empire. Click each variety below to learn more.
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Good for Eating and Cooking
- Hard when first picked
- Usually ripens in mid October
- Sweet and Tangy flavor
- Perfect for salads and snacks
- Super Crisp
- Usually ripens in mid October
- Sweet flavor
- Good for eating
- Crisp texture
- Usually ripens in early October
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Good for eating and cooking
- Firm and Crisp
- Usually ripens in late October
- Sweet flavor
- Good for eating and saucing
- Firm
- Usually ripens in early October
- Sweet with a hint of tartness
- Great for eating and pies
- Usually ripens in early-mid September
- Tart flavor
- Good for eating and pies
- Usually ripens in mid-late August
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Good eating apple – also good for saucing
- Crisp Texture
- Usually ripens in mid September
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Great eating apple
- Firm, Crisp and Juicy – can keep up to 6 months when refrigerated
- Usually ripens in mid October
- Sweet flavor
- Good for baking, canning, freezing
- Crisp & juicy flesh
- Usually ripens in mid September
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Good for eating, cooking, baking
- Hint of spice
- Usually ripens in early October
- Mild sweet flavor and juicy
- Excellent eating apple – also good for cooking and baking
- Softer texture
- Usually ripens in early-mid September
- Soft tart flavor
- Excellent for eating & pie
- Crisp texture
- Usually ripens in late August
- Complex, Spicy flavor
- Excellent eating apple
- Firm texture – can keep up to 7 months when refrigerated
- Usually ripens in mid-late October
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Good all purpose for cooking and baking
- Pairs well with savory foods
- Usually ripens in early October
- Sweet Flavor
- Good Eating Apple – but also makes excellent sauce
- Firm, Crisp and Juicy
- Usually ripens in mid September
- Tangy flavor
- Good for eating
- Firm & juicy
- Usually ripens in mid September
- Juicy and Sweet flavor
- Best for eating only
- Crunchy with a soft white flesh
- Usually ripens in mid September
- Sweet flavor
- Excellent for dessert
- Crisp & juicy texture, can keep for 3 months
- Usually ripens in mid-late September
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Excellent for sauces, cooking, baking
- Juicy texture
- Usually ripens in mid-late September
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Good for eating, pies, and applesauce
- Crisp and juicy
- Usually ripens in early-mid August
- Sweet with a hint of tartness
- Great for fried apples and sauce
- Crisp and Juicy
- Usually ripens in early October
- Mildly sweet with a hint of tart
- Best all-purpose apple for everything!
- Crisp and Juicy
- Usually ripens in mid-late September
- Sweet flavor
- Great eating apple
- Juicy
- Usually ripens in mid-late September
- Sweet tart flavor
- Excellent cooking and saucing apple
- Soft early apple
- Usually ripens in late July/early August
- Sweet –tart flavor
- Good for eating, cooking and baking
- Firm texture
- Usually ripens in mid-late September
- Sweet flavor
- Excellent for eating & baking
- Crisp & juicy texture
- Usually ripens in mid September
Sweet-tart flavor
Great for baking! Great all –purpose apple
Solid texture
Usually ripens in mid September
Tart flavor
Excellent for eating & sauce
Crisp texture
Usually ripens in early October
- Mildly sweet flavor
- Excellent for baking & sauce
- Crisp texture
- Usually ripens in late August
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Good all baking & sauce
- Usually ripens in early September
- Sweet flavor
- Excellent for eating
- Crisp texture
- Usually ripens in late July/early August
- Mild sweet flavor
- Good for eating
- Crisp texture
- Usually ripens in late September
- Mild flavor with hint of strawberry
- Good for eating
- Tough skin & juicy texture
- Usually ripens in August
- Sweet flavor
- Great for eating
- Crisp texture
- Usually ripens in mid September
- Sweet flavor with hint of tartness
- Excellent for eating
- Slow to turn brown after cutting
- Usually ripens in mid September
- Sweet flavor
- Excellent for eating
- Crisp & juicy texture
- Usually ripens in mid-late September
- Mild sweet flavor
- Excellent for dessert
- Soft & juicy flesh
- Usually ripens in late August
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Excellent for eating
- Hint of spice
- Usually ripens in mid-late August
- Sweet-tart flavor
- Excellent for eating
- Crisp texture
- Usually ripens in mid-late August
apple education
Here’s what you should know about apples!
We all know apples are delicious, but they are also full of health benefits. Like the saying goes,”an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”