Orchard Talk

It has been a great few weeks for us. Honeycrisp quality is excellent and demand is crazy. Galas picked more than our estimate so that is good news too. We are almost done picking. Today the pickers are wrapping up the last picking on Honeycrisp, and tomorrow they will probably finish Jonagold and Golden Delicious. The Northern Spy apples are big and beautiful and so are the Ida Reds. All of the apples taste sweeter this year due to the early season and warm weather. We have very few drops because we were so on top of picking the small crop. The processors are paying about $180.00 for a 20 bushel box of juice apples (about 4 times more than aversge) so the deer hunters are going to have price shock on deer feed apples.
With reduced apple picking we were able to do a good job with squash and pumpkins. Jim King and Josh spent a lot of time this summer getting the irrigation water wheels working and into the squash/pumpkin fields. This week we picked about sixty bins of big beautiful squash, and we ran them over the brush to get the dirt off and ready for sale.

With reduced apple volume we are doing a lot more retail to keep the cash flow up as much as possible. So on Wednesdays Rose and Betsy and sometimes an additional helper head to Alpena to direct market the apples and squash at the Alpena Livestock Auction grounds. We have been going since once a week in the fall since 1980. Jack is going to the Gaylord Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and Petoskey on Fridays. Jim’s son-in-law Mark Schiller went to Boyne City Farmers Market one Saturday but Boyne City Farmers Market doesn’t want us back this year as they want to protect their existing vendors. (from our awesome apples and marketing). Now Jack was refused entry at the Charlevoix Farmers Market too. (not to be confused with Charlevoix Apple Fest).

Looking forward we are going to continue at Gaylord, and Petoskey farmers markets while the weather and turnout allows. We are hoping for a big Saturday on October 6 at the Boyne City Harvest Festival. We haven’t done this one for a few years but it has grown and moved to downtown so we are fired up to be there. Then on October 12, 13, and 14, we will have a big crew at the Charlevoix Apple Fest. The Apple Fest has grown over the years so that we will have more than a dozen employees and family up there if we have good weather on Saturday.

If you are thinking of shipping apples this is a good year to do it. There are very few apples in the Midwest and Great Lakes Region so your friends might not get the ones they like this year. Our McIntosh, Northern Spy, Honeycrisp, and Jonagolds are exceptionally good this year too. Lynne is piling up boxes to go to UPS as I write this. She hand selects the apples for shipping so they make a very nice pack.

Tags: apple shipping, Boyne City Harvest Festival, Charlevoix Apple Fest, Charlevoix Farmers Marketet, Gaylord Farmers Market, northern spy, Petoskey Farmers Market

Hello everyone!
Even though it is winter we are still here on the farm and working hard.
The winter is progressing and so is our new building. We are very excited to see the inside of the building coming together. This week we are hoping to get the paneling put up in the offices. We can not wait to move to the new building and have some room in the old one; however we realize that it will be a little while yet.

We also still have apples in the market, including the all popular Honeycrisp Apples. There are lots of 2nd apples and snow days are perfect for making apple sauce with the kids. We have frozen cherries in the market and they are available for shipping. Call us at 1-877-937-5464 to get daily updates on what we have in the market or to order your frozen cherries.
To learn more about shipping frozen cherries watch our frozen cherry video  frozen cherry shipping

Alisha

Tags: frozen tart cherries, shipping cherryies

Yep, it’s baking time. And I bought too many apples, because that good lookin’ $12 half bushel of Ginger Golds from King Orchards was IRRESISTIBLE.

Here’s my favorite apple cake recipe. I really generally don’t care for baked apple products, but this one is . . . oh good lord. . . you gotta try it. My mom got the recipe from Emma Ellison in Eastport, way back in the 70′s. Mom used to make it for dad’s birthday every year. Sometimes I still do. It’s stupid easy – great recipe for the kids to try out their baking skills.

I’ve added some spices, and I use both brown and granulated sugars. You can doll it up to your liking. I’ve used oil or butter; both are delicious. If you use butter, you may need to adjust the amount of salt you add (unless, of course, you’re using unsalted butter). I’m guessing you could even use applesauce or bananas for some of the sweet / fat ingredients.

This recipe yields one 9×13 glass baking pan. You can also use it as a muffin batter, or dress it up with a crumb topping. Once it’s cooled, sifting powdered sugar through a doily is a cutesy old fashioned thing to do.

The cake is best about 15 minutes out of the oven. The edges will be crusty and chewy, and the cake is moist and dense. It’s also great for the next few days, if there’s any left. Just cover pan with foil or film wrap.

Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes. Kinda depends on exactly how many apples you use, and how much moisture they contain. Cake is done when it’s deep golden brown, the edges start to pull away from the pan, and the center has puffed up and is set.

4 cups diced apples – I usually quarter them or cut in 8ths, depending upon size of apples, then slice. Don’t peel!
1 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar, loosely packed
3/4 c oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (I like a high quality sea salt best)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
sprinkle ground cloves
sprinkle ground nutmeg
couple sprinkles ground coriander
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional, of course)

I suggest you use a large mixing bowl and do this by hand with a big ol’ wooden spoon or rubber spatula; I’ve never bothered with a mixer for this cake. The batter is dense and lumpy and it will look like there is absolutely NO way it’s going to turn out. . . but it will.

Stir together flour, sugars, spices, soda and salt.

Slice apples and stir into dry ingredients to coat them.

Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla at once, and stir gently just until combined.

Bake, eat, and feel the love.

Tags: Apples, Recipes

Ingredients:

Dough:
• 1 pound, plus 2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces butter, cubed
• 2 ½ ounces pork fat
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• Cold water
  
  Apples:
• 4 Honeycrisp apples
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cider
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• ¼ cup caramel (recipe follows)
• 2 pinches of corn starch or arrow root
  
  Streusel:
• 4 ounces butter, chilled and cubed
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cinnamon

  Smokey Roasted Apple Puree:

• 4 apples, such as Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, or Fiji
• 1 cup cider
• ½ cup caramel
• 1 ounce butter
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 2 ounces raw bacon

  Ice Cream Base:

• 25 egg yolks
• 14 ounces sugar
• 1 quart cream
• 1 quart milk

  Caramel:
  24 ounces sugar

• 7 ounces corn syrup or glucose
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 quart cream

Method:

For the Dough:
In a KitchenAid with a paddle attachment, work the flour, butter, pork fat, sugar, and salt until the butter is the size of tiny peas. Add the egg and about ¼ cup water, and work until the dough comes together. Form into a ball and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.

For the Apples:
Peel apples and cut them into ¼-inch cubes. Place apples in a large bowl and toss with all the other ingredients. Set aside.

For the Streusel:
Combine all of the ingredients in a Cuisinart and work until the mixture “crumbles.” Chill the mixture.

For the Smokey Roasted Apple Puree:
Quarter the apples. Toss with the rest of the ingredients and roast at 350°F until the apples are broken down and caramelized. Remove the bacon and discard. Puree remaining mixture in a Cuisinart until smooth.

For the Ice Cream Base:
Mix the yolks and sugar completely. Bring the cream and the milk to a boil; pour it over the yolks and mix completely. Put the mixture back on the stove, mixing constantly, until the custard is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Place in an ice bath and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the apple puree to taste. Freeze and process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Caramel:
In a heavy pot, combine half of the sugar with the corn syrup, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is dark amber in color.
Add the remaining sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Mix well after each addition. In another pot, heat the cream just until it comes to a boil. Slowly add the cream to the caramel, and let the mixture reduce after each addition.

To Assemble and Serve:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Trim and fit the dough into a pie tin or tart mold. Fill the Honeycrisp apple cubes to the top of the pie shell; pour some of the juice from the bottom of the bowl on top of the apples. Cover with the streusel. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the liquid is bubbling.

Serve with smoky roasted apple ice cream and caramel sauce.

Yield: 6 Servings

recipe courtesy of
Chef Mindy Segal of HOTCHOCOLATE – Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Tags: honeycrisp apple pie, honeycrisp apple recipe, honeycrisp apples

2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup sour milk (add 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to fresh milk)
1 teaspoon soda
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped Honeycrisp apples
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix together all ingredients. Divide batter between 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (at times I have to bake the loaves for 10 or 15 minutes more until they feel set when tapped).  Note: Batter will be stiff.

This Honeycrisp Apple Bread recipe courtesy Thunder Bay Grille

Tags: honey crisp apples, honeycrisp apple bread, honeycrisp apple recipes

Winning Recipe 2009 Michigan Apples Pie Contest: Caramel Apple Pie

Tags: caramel apple pie, michigan apples, pie recipes, Recipes

This quick sandwich can be made with a Panini press or George Foreman grill. Equally delicious if you choose to omit the turkey.

Ingredients:

Preheat the panini press or grill. Spread the honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices, cheese and turkey over 4 slices of the bread. Top each with the remaining bread slices.

Lightly coat the press or grill with vegetable cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for approx. 3 to 5 minutes or until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted. Remove from pan and cut in half.

Serve with a green salad for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner. Makes 4 servings.

In Susan Selasky’s Detroit Free Press article, she wrote, “Some people wouldn’t dream of cooking with Honeycrisp apples because they are best eaten out of hand. But for this recipe I wanted to capture those sweet Honeycrisp juices to add moisture and flavor to the stuffing and sweetness to the cream sauce.”

The only thing I would try differently with this recipe is to substitute dried cherries for the optional golden raisins. Dried cherries are an excellent complement to both pork and stuffing, and impart much more flavor than raisins. As John likes to say, “they make ordinary stuffing an event!”

Stuffing
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 2 cups dried bread cubes (or small croutons)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup diced apple
• 1/4 cup golden raisins (or dried cherries), optional
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage leaves or 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

Pork
• 4 bone-in pork chops (at least 1-inch-thick), about 2 pounds trimmed of fat
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 large apple (such as Honeycrisp), peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup fat-free or regular half-and-half mixed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make the stuffing: In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and add the bread cubes, salt and pepper, apple, raisins if using, and sage.
Lightly moisten with the broth, mix thoroughly and set aside.
To prepare the pork: Cut a 2-inch-wide slit in the side of the chop opposite the bone, cutting almost but not all the way through, making a pocket. Evenly divide the stuffing mixture and stuff it in each chop. Do not overstuff the chops or the stuffing will fall out. You may have some left over that you can serve on the side. You can secure the pocket closed with toothpicks if needed.
Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn and brown on the other side. Transfer pork chops (set skillet aside) to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake about 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 155 degrees. Remove from oven and keep covered.
In the same skillet the chops were browned in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pecans and saute 2 minutes. Add the diced apple and saute until it caramelizes. Reduce the heat slightly and slowly whisk in the half-and-half and maple syrup.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the sauce with some of the diced apples and pecans over each pork chop and serve.

Per serving: 398 calories (57 percent from fat ), 25 g fat (6 g saturated fat ), 25 g carbohydrates , 19 g protein , 396 mg sodium , 61 mg cholesterol ,3 g fiber.

recipe courtesy of Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press.

Are you wondering what apple holds up best in pie, or which apples to choose for fresh snacks or chunked up in salad?

We’ve created a handy Apple Variety Guide with some characteristics and suggested uses for the many apples we grow here at King Orchards.  The apples are listed in the approximate order in which they are harvested. You can also download a pdf version of our apple variety guide to print and save at home.

Ginger Gold – early September
Oh, do we love this early-ripening apple. A sweet, firm Golden Delicious-type variety, everyone loves this new gourmet apple.

Paula Red  – early September
A beautiful variety that originated right here in Michigan. The best early season snacking apple, perfect for back-to-school lunches.

Jersey Mac – late August
A good choice for McIntosh lovers who are getting impatient for the Macs to ripen; another good choice for school lunches.

Gala  – mid-September
Another high quality gourmet dessert apple with an outstanding flavor. It is a great eating apple and cooks well, too.

McIntosh – mid to late September
Our favorite traditional apple. Excellent for eating fresh, in pies, salads, and sauce, you can’t go wrong with McIntosh.

Jonagold - late September
A unique combination of Jonathon tartness and Golden Delicious sweetness, juicy and crunchy, great for fresh eating and cooking.

Cortland – late September
A surprisingly good eating, tangy old fashioned apple, Cortland is also famous for cooking and baking. Cortlands are resistant to browning, which makes them especially good for salads. We have many customers who love them for applesauce too. Leave the skins on while cooking, then run the apples through the food mill or ricer, and your sauce will turn a naturally pretty shade of pink.

Honeycrisp – late September
Honeycrisp apples are considered by many to be the greatest fresh eating apple of all time. It is very crisp and has a sweetness that really is reminiscent of honey.  We’ve heard our Honeycrisp apples referred to as, “the best thing to ever grow on a tree!”

Empire – late September
This a great kid’s apple. It juicy and crunchy and not too big (perfect for small hands).

Mutsu – early October
Also known as Crispin, this is the apple we recommend for those who want “hard and tart”.   Mutsu apples are also some of our best keepers.

Golden Delicious – early October
Thin-skinned, crisp, firm, juicy flesh, with a unique aroma and flavor. When cooking it allows you to use less sugar in recipes.

Northern Spy – early October
“Spies for pies!” This famous 200 year old variety has been considered by some experts to be the best apple ever produced in the United States. One of the best cooking apples, Spy is a tangy, juicy fresh eating apple, too.

Ida Red – mid October
Hard and tart, big and red; that describes this apple. It is an exceptional variety for it’s keeping quality and wonderful for cooking.

If you need help selecting the right apple for yourself, or to ship as a gift to send a friend or loved one, don’t hesitate to drop us a line, or call us toll-free at 1-877-937-5464.

pples

Tags: apple varieties, choosing apples, cooking with apples, cortland apples, crispin apples, gala apples, ginger gold apples, golden delicious, honeycrisp apples, ida red apples, jonagold apples, mcintosh apples, michigan apples, mutsu apples, northern spy apples, pie apples, sanza apples

Rose and Betsy’s top tips for apple buying and storing:

• Be adventurous! Don’t be afraid to experiment. You have nothing to lose but boredom. Try some new varieties. You may not like them all, but you are sure to make some new discoveries that will become life-long favorites.
• Keep it cool! Apples continue to ripen after they have been picked. Keeping them cool retards this process. Best way to store is in the refrigerator, but a cool well pit or basement will work sufficiently.
• Keep those slices nice: A little fresh lemon juice sprinkled on apple slices will help keep them from browning.
• Are they done yet? To check for ripeness, cut one apple open.  When the seeds are dark and brownish-colored, the apples are ripe.
• Handle with care: Gentle handling will prevent bruising

Handy guidelines for determining how many apples you need:

• 1 pound equals approximately 3 medium apples, or 2 cups sliced.
• 3 pounds equal approximately 8 to 9 medium apples, or one 9-inch pie.
• 1 peck equals approximately 10 to 12 pounds, or 20 medium apples . Makes 3 or 4 9 inch pies, 7 to 9 quarts frozen or 4 quarts canned.
• 1 bushel equals approximately 42 to 48 pounds, or 126 medium apples. Makes about fifteen 9 inch pies, or 30 to 36 pints frozen.

Tags: apple browning, apple selection, Apples, caring for apples, how to store apples, michigan apples, Our Websites