CSA Box: 1/18/2014 – Braeburn apples & more

Fuji apples

Appearance:  Red with a yellow background color, slightly lopsided with small russets (textured spots).
Flavor Profile:  Extremely sweet and firm.
Uses:  The best storage apple of our sweet varieties.  A favorite apple for eating fresh.
Who’s Favorite:  Mary Margaret

Braeburn apples

 

Appearance:  Yellow skinned apple with a pinkish-red blush and russeted (textured spots).
Flavor Profile:  Mildly tart, juicy, crisp, and very firm.
Uses:  Good all-purpose apple:  eaten fresh, pies, sauce, baked.  Stores well.
Who’s Favorite:  Dave

Bosc Pears

 

Bosc pears have russeted brown/copper skin with crunchy, yet tender, flesh and a sweet-spiced flavor. Bosc pears are sweeter and more flavorful earlier in the ripening process than other pear varieties. As a result, the complex flavor, honey-sweetness, and juiciness of Bosc can be enjoyed before their flesh has fully softened.

Since the flesh density of Bosc is greater than other pears, it’s important to take this into consideration when determining when Bosc pears are ripe. The Check the Neck™ test, where gentle thumb pressure is applied near the stem end, is still the best method for checking Bosc for ripeness. However, keep in mind that Bosc will “give” less than other pears when they are ready. Sometimes, Bosc will also show a slight wrinkling at the base of the stem as well as a minimal color change as they ripen– a green hue under the russeted skin will turn more yellow. However, color change is not as reliable as Checking the Neck™.

Ripen Bosc pears as you would any other variety: leave them at room temperature and only refrigerate after the pears have ripened.

Bosc pears have a more firm, dense flesh than other pear varieties, so they are ideal for use in baking, broiling or poaching. They retain their shape and texture better than other varieties, and their flavor is less likely to be overwhelmed by the use of strong spices like cinnamon, clove or nutmeg. They are also great sliced on top of a salad of Hydroponic Lettunce along with candied pecans, goat cheese, baby beets and a balsamic vinaigrette (a Kuhn family Thanksgiving meal staple!)

Quart of Apple Cider

 

White Sweet Potatoes

 

Red and Yellow onions

 

Hydroponic Lettuce – from our neighbor’s at Brent’s Hydrogreens

 

Carrots

 

Jar of Honey

 

Our honey is extracted from our hives and bottled by the local beekeeper who delivers the hives to our farm annually to pollinate our crops. Although some of he honey may be derived from fruit trees, the bees are also pollinating the wildflower borders we have along the farm edges and the clover in the orchard grasses. The only is about as raw as you can get – it is only heated to 110° and passed once through a fine sieve!