Arkansas Black Apple
(Scientific Binomial Name: Malus domestica)Arkansas Black Apples are one of the crispiest apples available - and the flavor is excellent, too.
The Arkansas Black apple is one of the crispiest and most dense apples around. It is a late maturingapple that is generally considered best for cooking & desserts rather than eating out of hand.
Selection Information
Usage: Arkansas Black apples are excellent eaten out of hand as well as in baking. They will hold their shape well for pies, and will give a slightly tart flavor for apple sauce.
Selection & Storage: Good-quality Arkansas Black apples will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have good color for the variety - which is a dark red to almost black. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.
To store, keep apples as cold as possible in the refrigerator. Apples do not freeze until the temperature drops to 28.5 degrees F.
Avoid: Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.
Seasonal Information
The Arkansas Black apple is a late maturing variety - which means mid-October in the Northern hemisphere.
Arkansas Black Apple Nutritional Information
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Apples are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They're also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.
Juicing Information
The slight tartness of the Arkansas Black apple makes it an ideal juicing apple
Organic Availability
This apple is sometimes available organically - especially in the Northwest US.
Apple Tips & Trivia
- Rub cut apples with lemon juice to keep slices and wedges creamy white for hours.
- Store apples in a plastic bag in the refrigerator away from strong-odored foods such as cabbage or onions to prevent flavor transfer.
- Apples are the second most important of all fruits sold in the supermarket, ranking next to bananas.
- Tens of thousands of varieties of apples are grown worldwide
- The history of apple consumption dates from Stone Age cultivation in areas we now know as Austria and Switzerland.
- In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage; catching it was acceptance
- Folk hero Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) did indeed spread the cultivation of apples in the United States. He knew enough about apples, however, so that he did not distribute seeds, because apples do not grow true from seeds. Instead, he established nurseries in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
- Three medium-sized apples weigh approximately one pound.
- One pound of apples, cored and sliced, measures about 4 1/2 cups.
- Purchase about 2 pounds of whole apples for a 9-inch pie.
- One large apple, cored and processed through a food grinder or processor, makes about 1 cup of ground apple.
Suggested Reading About Apples from Amazon.com:
- The Best Apples to Buy and Grow
- The New Book of Apples: The Definitive Guide to Over 2,000 Varieties
- Apples
- How apples are grown, stored, and used
- The Apple Orchard Cookbook
