WHAT IS A GRANNY SMITH APPLE?
While this seems like a red blooded American apple, it was actually invented in New South Wales, Australia! Ms. Maria Ann Smith cultivated it on the side while giving birth to 16 children. One day she threw out a box of Tasmanian French crab apples that had gone bad. A type of tree never seen before grew in that spot and thus the Granny Smith Apple was born. With a thick, green skin and crisp, tart flesh this apple is truly unique among its sweeter cousins. One of the reasons it’s so popular in desserts is that it stays firm even after it’s baked. However as a Granny Smith ripens it does lose some of its acidity.
WHY ARE GRANNY SMITH APPLES GOOD FOR YOU?
Diabetes, heart disease, obesity, strokes and the list goes on and on regarding how many ailments a diet including these apples combats. Even the non-digestible compounds in these Granny Smith’s help to maintain a healthy bacterial culture in your gut. And compared to other types of apples, a Granny has the highest amount of non-digestible compounds. So when it comes to gut health, this breed of applie is considered to be the healthiest. In general apples are a great source of fiber and vitamin C.
WHEN ARE GRANNY SMITH APPLES IN SEASON?
Different apples ripen at different times during the year. Granny’s are harvested in the northern hemisphere in October, and March in southern markets like Australia.
HOW SHOULD GRANNY SMITH APPLES BE STORED?
Cover with a damp paper towel and place them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Young apples should easily keep for 1 to 2 months. Stacking them is a bad idea since they tend to bruise easily. One way to prevent this is to wrap the fruit in paper before stacking. Also do not store your apples near your potatoes. It just speeds up the maturation process. And if you have too many apples, chop them up (lemon juice helps to prevent oxidation) and freeze them for easy use down the road.
WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO PEEL AN APPLE?
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WATER ISN’T THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE PESTICIDES FROM YOUR GRANNY SMITH?
The University of Massachusetts conducted an experiment comparing tap water, a 1% baking soda / water solution, and bleach to see which was the most effective in removing pesticides and fungicides. The baking soda solution was far superior to the other two. However it couldn’t remove chemicals that had been absorbed into the peel itself. But a mix of 1% baking soda and 99% water was still the best way to remove chemical residue (short of peeling the skin off the apple).
