Sugar Core!    

Aubrey
OK - This is me, Aubrey

*For what's available at market this week please see below; it includes the apple varieties now available. 
 
Sugar Core
     A phenomenon which some customers may notice this year, in a few varieties of apples, is "water core", as it is generally known in the industry. "SUGAR CORE" as it is known in Japan, is simply a condition in varieties such as Fuji, Stayman, Suncrisp and Winesap, indicating peak maturity, a lot of sun exposure and high sugar content. The Japanese prize apples with sugar core and will pay a premium for the extra-mature fruit. A picture of an apple cross section with water core will show a translucent interior, which looks very saturated towards the core. Water core, when found in commercial apples, is considered a defect, and many are rejected or sent to be made into apple juice, therefore you won't often see this quality, which we have come to prize, in a chain store apple. 
     Eddie explained to me that the tree is pushing sugar into the core of the apple, an especially rapid process on warm days, towards the peak of maturity, and that on the inevitable cold days this process is slowed down. The back-up of the flow of sugar and nutrients can result in the water, or sugar, core you may notice in a few of our apples. The fact that the apples are also most likely exposed to tons of sunshine is yet another plus for apples which exhibit water core. Most of our apples grow right out in full sunshine, as you may have noticed in the picture of Eddie with the dwarf Goldrush trees in last week's newsletter. All of our trees are fully dwarf, and getting smaller and closer together with every new planting. Here is what Jo Robinson has to say about sun exposure.
 
     "According to Egyptian botanist Mohamed Awad, "Apples at the top of the tree contain twice as many antioxidants as apples that are hidden amongst the leaves and as much as three times more quercetin, the most powerful flavonoid." (remember that phytonutrient from my "White Foods" write-up?) 
     "Happily, other researchers have found that sun-drenched apples are also sweeter and less acidic than apples that grow in the shade...Pruning the trees into a spindle shape also makes the canopy of leaves smaller, which exposes more of the apples to direct sunlight. Few growers realize that this produces not only more apples but, coincidentally, more nutritious ones as well."
     "The most nutritious apples are the ones that are highly pigmented on all sides."
     "What about Granny Smith and other green- or yellow skinned apples? They, too, become more nutritious with greater sun exposure, but don't turn red...Granny Smith, however, have more phytonutrients than many of the reddest apples, so they are always a good choice." 
 
     And I'm going to assume, or at least hope, that Suncrisp and Goldrush, they being such great apples, are similarly as high in nutrition as our Grannies. That aside, Twin Springs has always tried to grow the maximum number of apples that receive full sunlight exposure, believing that the effort results in higher quality fruit, whether it be apples, peaches or whatever. Who knew, however, that all that effort in orchard design, tree selection and pruning techniques resulted in much higher nutritional quality - Talk about "Win - Win".
     I'm afraid that in today's apple industry water core is considered a defect, even described as a disease sometimes, and so growers favor early coloring varieties which can be picked before full ripeness so that they will keep longer and be acceptable to wholesalers, though of lower than prime quality, flavorwise; thus you have the Red Delicious and Rome phenomena of "Red Drift" and tasteless but lovely fruit. Decorate with it, just don't bother eating the stuff!
     
Continued Tomato Production
     I want to remind everyone to continue to enjoy our tomatoes, coming out of the greenhouse, now that field tomatoes are "toast". Tomato sales invariably, and understandably, drop off at this time of year; many of you have had your fill over the peak summer months.
     In reading in Jo Robinson's book, "Eating on the Wild Side" (p.151 - 153) I was reminded of just what a real Superfood both fresh and canned tomatoes are, and how they should be a part of everyone's diet, year 'round.
     Jo suggests that cooking, especially with truly vine ripened local tomatoes, makes for extra nutritious meals: 

     "Tomatoes, like a few other fruits, are better for you cooked than raw. In fact, the longer you cook them, the more health benefits you get. The heat increases their food value in two ways. First, it breaks down the fruit's cell walls, making their nutrients more bioavailable. Second, it twists the lycopene molecule into a new configuration that is easier to absorb...Raw tomatoes are good for you, but cooked tomatoes are akin to medicine. Just thirty minutes of cooking can more that double their lycopene content..."
     "Most tomatoes are packed in cans that have a plastic lining that contains a noxious chemical called BPA... look for tomato products sold in glass jars..."

     Of course Twin Springs' Marinara Sauce and Chipotle Ketchup both are in glass bottles; and we also switched our canned peaches to glass jars.




Thanks for your continued support
Aubrey and the gang
*At all our locations this week 
  • Our flavorful, sweet, crisp and juicy Carrots are plentiful, and include the new, extra sweet, pale yellow variety "White Satin", but only for a bit longer.
  • Bon Bon, Sunshine and Butternut hard winter squash. There is no better start to a pumpkin pie than roasting our Bon Bon or Sunshine. Simply cut in half "pole to pole", leave the seeds in during cooking, place cut side down on a baking sheet, preferably on parchment paper, and roast at 425 until it bubbles around the edges while caramelizing. Let cool a bit, remove the seeds and scoop the pulp out for pie making or just plain eating as a side dish - It won't need any help, and is a genuine "Superfood".
  • Lots of Celery, though not for too much longer  
  • Fresh Brussels Sprouts are sweet and delicious, none of the sulfurous taste from older grocery store ones. They may be steamed, roasted, stir fried and sauteed. 
  • Kaleidoscope Greens -  great braised, steamed or roasted to crispness by trimming, splitting, coating with EVOO and roasting at 250 till crisp, 15 - 20 minutes, but keep an eye on them as they scorch pretty easily.  
  • Apple varieties available this week are: Cameo, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Stayman, Winesap, Nittany, Fuji, SunCrisp, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, Gala and Jonagold. (I recommend Pink Lady, Grannies, Stayman, SunCrisp, Mutsu, Winesap, Nittany and Golden Delicious, as the best cookers this week.)
  • Sweet Apple Cider - This week's blend incorporates: Granny Smith, Stayman and Nittany. It should be nicely tart/sweet with those three varieties.
  • Sweet bell peppers, Anaheim Chili Peppers and sweet little Mini Peppers. I've been told kids like to snack on them, who'd have "thunk" it?
  • Traditional orange fleshed Sweet Potato, Beauregard, and the fantastic, white fleshed, purple skinned Japanese Sweet Potato which is a bit dryer and sweeter than the traditional.
  • Manar Cucumbers and Arugula will make a limited showing at as many markets as possible. Get out early if they are a "Must have".
  • Arturo informs me that there is enough Red Oakleaf Lettuce to make a nice showing at all markets.
  • Trust Tomatoes, picked at the peak of ripeness in our greenhouses as well as Sungold, sweet orange cherry tomatoes and Dasher red grape tomatoes, about which Jo says: "Grape tomatoes, relative newcomers to the market, are smaller than most cherry tomatoes and are more nutritious as well."    
  • Candy, sweet onions and Mercury, mild red onions
  • Sylvana Potatoes both loose and in bags
  • German Hardneck Garlic
  • Chipotle Ketchup, Marinara Sauce and the two new products: Hot Pepper Jelly and "Jarred" Peaches
  • Apple Butter and Apple Sauce
In addition to the above we *expect to have, at "Twin Springs Own Markets":            
  • Spinach, Kale, Green and Golden Zucchini, Radishes, both Green and Golden Beans Beets, Broccoli, Broccolini, Cauliflower, Purple Cauliflower, Romanesco, Turnips, Herbs (Rosemary, Parsley and Dill)                                  
  • Local honey and maple syrup, salad dressings, jams and jellies, chow chow, mustards, sweet and hot relish, bar-b-que sauces etc.
  • A full line of Baked Goods, fresh each market morning: Croissants, baguettes, many loaf breads too numerous to list, both sliced and unsliced (The latter having a crisper crust) and cookies
 
Perhaps add a friend, helping to get someone you love started on a wholesome lifestyle, while supporting local farms and farmers, not to mention bakers, cheesemakers and beekeepers.