Autumn brings a crispness to the season I love. Not the crisp fall temperatures. I love the bounty of crisp apples, like Honeycrisp and Pixie Crunch, now available at farm markets.
“Anything crisp is big,” said Angie Eckert, vice president of retail operations. When asked what apples are currently trending, she said. “Honeycrisp and Suncrisp are two customer favorites, and this year, we expect our new addition, the EverCrisp, will also be popular.”
EverCrisp is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Fuji. It’s created in Ohio by the growers of the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, an apple breeding project whose growers work together crossing and testing different varieties to produce a crisp, juicy apple with a big crunch. EverCrisp is just one of the 15 apple varieties Eckert’s grows.
EverCrisps are a late season apple that ripens in October. Late season apples, such as Winesaps and Granny Smith are traditionally favored for baking because of their crisp, firm structure. EverCrisp is an apple that gives bakers an alternative to the traditional baking apple, the Granny Smith, a vintage apple that still ranks high as a favorite for both baking, cooking and eating.
“Granny Smith is an old variety we’ve grown for many generations,” said Eckert, whose family has been gowning apples at their Illinois orchards for over 100 years. “Granny Smith is a great cooking apple and so is the Golden Delicious, another classic apple that gets sweeter the longer they’re on the tree.”
Eckert’s Turkey Hill Farm in Belleville, Illinois, can trace its apple production to 1890, started by Henry Eckert. It’s the epicenter of the family farm business, which now includes locations in Graton and Millstadt. Each location has “u-pick,” but is only available by reservation due to the pandemic and safety concerns. Would-be apple pickers can book a reservation through eckerts.ticketleap.com. Tickets are timed and some slots are sold out. However, there are plenty of pre-picked apples in Eckert’s Farm Store.
No matter who picks your apples, once you have them home you’ll want to store them to last. Eckert’s offered a few tips when selecting and storing this year’s pick. Choose apples that are free of bruises, are fragrant, firm to the touch and have no bruises. Keep in mind that apples ripen six to 10 times faster at room temperature than when refrigerated. Store them in the crisper drawer if you’re not going to eat them within a day or two of picking. Apples that will not be eaten in a day or two should also be stored by themselves because they emit ethylene gas, which can cause other fruits and vegetables to decompose. Apples will also freeze well. Just slice them, place the slices on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once they’re frozen, transfer them to a plastic storage bag. I toss my apples with a little lemon-lime soda to prevent them from browning after I slice and freeze them. Do remember that frozen apples may develop a softer texture over time, but that’s OK. Frozen apples are great for baking for up to a year.
Speaking of baking … I’ve already begun baking apple pies from this year’s harvest. Here’s one of my favorite vintage recipes, which has been baked for generations and is shared by the Eckert family.
ECKERT’s BEST APPLE PIE
Servings: 6
5 cups peeled and sliced apples (mostly Jonathans with 1 golden delicious)
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
Peel apples and arrange in the unbaked pie shell. Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of apples. Sift the remaining sugar with the flour. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture over top of apples. Place pie in a 450 F oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes, or until apples are tender.
AUTUMN APPLE MUFFINS
Servings: 12 to 14 muffins
1 large egg
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup unpeeled apple, 1/4-inch diced (do not over measure)
1/2 cup raisins or chopped nuts, optional
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a regular muffin tin with butter or vegetable spray. Set aside. In a four-quart bowl, beat with an electric mixer on medium speed egg, sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about one to two minutes. With mixer on low speed, add in salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, milk and lemon juice. Set aside.
In a small bowl, using a metal fork or wire whisk, combine flour and baking powder. Combine the flour mixture into the sugar mixture using a mixing spoon. Stir until just blended. Gently fold in apples and raisins or nuts.
Spoon dough into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean.
APPLE CIDER DONUT BREAD PUDDING
Servings: 10
16 Eckert’s apple cider donuts
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (1 stick) plus about 1 tablespoon for baking dish
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
1 to 2 medium unpeeled apples, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups), optional
1/2 cup raisins, cranberries or pecans, optional
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
3 or 4 tablespoons Eckert’s Apple Cider
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside. In a large bowl, using your fingers break donuts into bite-sized pieces. Layer donut pieces in prepared baking dish. Set aside.
In a two-quart bowl, combine butter and sugar with electric mixer at a low speed. Add eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until blended, about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and heavy cream; blend. Fold in apples. Scatter donut pieces with raisins, cranberries or pecans. Pour cream mixture evenly over the donuts. Push any donuts not covered into the cream mixture and allow the donuts to soak about five to 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator two hours ahead of time. Cut bread pudding into individual pieces and microwave until warm, about one to two minutes on medium. Just before serving, in a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and cider until well combined to create a glaze. Drizzle glaze on bread pudding.
