Smitten™ apple is a unique mix of the Gala, Braeburn, Falstaff and Fiesta breeding lines. This results in an apple with a bite sensation, combined with full flavour, juiciness, and a sweetness.

eve™ apple with its bright red skin has a delicate balance between sweet but tangy, is loaded with juice and presents with a superb white flesh. It has a low oxidisation, which makes it the perfect apple for salads and lunchboxes and it will not turn brown for some time. It is also known as Mariri Red.

SweeTango™, designed in Minnosota but now grown here is rich, vibrant and super sweet with a juicy smooth texture.

ambrosia® apple is sweet with low-acid and has a smooth iridescent, pink blush skin. The flesh browns slowly when cut making it great for salads and lunch boxes. It’s akin to NZ Rose apples.

GENISIS™ is a Braeburn and Royal Gala cross and sports a firm texture and sweet flesh.

lemonade™ another New Zealand created apple, lemonade is a favourite of mine for when I want to cook an apple where the flesh will melt but still hold its shape. Eaten fresh it is slightly tart. Its longer shape and yellow flesh with green and subtle blush pink highlights makes it unique looking.

Cooking Apples versus Eating Apples:

Recipes call for eating apples when often they mean cooking apples. The pulp of cooking apples - Ballarat and Granny Smith – when cooked will collapse into a fluffy mound. Eating apples when cooked stay firm. Cooking apples make the best apple sauces.

Taking Care of Apples:

Apples continue to ripen after picking so their colour and texture will change while storing. Check stored fruits as one bad apple will quickly make all the others rotten.

Rachel's Amish Apple Cake

Boiling bacon with lentils and apples