Kendall Farms | Dwarf Apples

The History of Apples

The apple (malus domestica) emerged as a celebrated fruit at the beginning of the peopling of Earth. Whether you start with Adam and Eve or the anthropological data on Stone Age man in Europe, the apple was there. Greek and Roman mythology refer to apples as symbols of love and beauty. When the Romans conquered England about the first century B.C., they brought apple cultivation with them. William Tell gained fame by shooting an apple off his son's head at the order of invaders of Switzerland.

The Pilgrims discovered crab-apples had preceded them to America, but the fruit was not very edible. The Massachusetts Bay Colony requested seeds and cuttings from England, which were brought over on later voyages of the Mayflower. Other Europeans brought apple stock to Virginia and the Southwest, and a Massachusetts man, John Chapman, became famous for planting trees throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois (his name became "Johnny Appleseed"). The legendary Granny Smith apple was begun by the lady herself at Ryde, a suburb of Sydney, in the 1800’s.

The Kendall Farms Range

Tropical Golden Dorset Apple - Developed by the University of Florida, these are magnificent trees grow only 2.5m - 3m high and produce top quality fruit with all the crunch, texture and taste of their southern cousins. This variety is totally suited to tropical fruit growing either in a pot or the ground. On a dwarf rootstock the Dorset is ideal for backyard plantings and container specimens. The fruit is a sweet aromatic apple with yellow fruit, a delightful pink blush and firm white flesh tastes a cross between Pink Lady and Jonathon with a tang like Granny Smith. Great fresh or in pies!

Tropical Sweet / Anna Apple varieties - These are the traditional red round fruit. Every inch as good as the Golden Dorsett, these variety of apples will delight the senses with their great taste, texture (crunchy and juicy) and versatility. What applies to the Golden Dorsett is the same with Tropic Sweet / Anna - in fact that taste very much the same. These are a dwarf species that attain a height of only 2.8m.

Cultivation Notes

Many growers, especially in the USA, are recognising the advantages of utilising dwarf fruit stock and are trending towards growing dwarf apple trees substantial apple orchards. Most apples need chilling hours, but these varieties are also well suited to sub-tropical areas with low chill. Choose an open sunny position and plant in well drained, premium-quality soil.

Don't overdo it with the water. Too much water on top of natural rainfall won't be great for your apple tree. You'll get nice vegetation, but little yield. On the other hand, too little water is also going to significantly impact how much fruit your tree will yield. So keep on eye on the your apple tree, particularly in dryer months.

Health Benefits

Today apples share preference with citrus as a fruit and health product. As they say, “An apple a day……”

Apples are a delicious source of dietary fibre which aids digestion and promotes weight loss. A medium apple contains about five grams of fibre, more than most cereals. Apples contain almost zero fat and cholesterol, so they are a delicious snack and dessert food that’s good for you.

To get the full nutritional benefits associated with eating apples you really should eat at least one fresh apple every day. Fibre and Phytonutrients founds in apples lower blood cholesterol and improve bowel function, and may be associated with a reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma.

Flavonoids abundant in apples inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells and colon cancer cells. by 43 percent. The US National Cancer Institute reports apples may reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50 percent.

Research from the University of Massachusetts claims that regular consumption of apple juice may ward off cell damage that contributes to age-related memory loss such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Why not grab an ‘apple a day’ from your very own tree?

Interesting Facts

The saying "As American as apple pie" is referred to as the symbol of America. The word "apple" comes from the Old English word "aeppel." There are approximately 10,000 different kinds of varieties of apples grown in the world with more than 7,000 of these varieties grown in the United States. Apples are a member of the rose family of plants and the blossoms are much like wild-rose blossoms.

Carbonized remains of apples have been found by archaeologists in prehistoric lake dwellings in Switzerland, dating back to the Iron Age. There is also evidence to show that apples were eaten and preserved by slicing and sun drying during the Stone Age in Europe.

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PRAWN & APPLE SALAD WITH ASIAN DRESSING

Preparation

10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons caster sugar

1 bunch baby bok choy, roughly chopped

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

40g snow pea sprouts

12 large cooked prawns, peeled with tails left intact

2 tablespoons coriander leaves

Method

Whisk together in a bowl the sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, fish sauce and caster sugar. Set aside.

Toss together the bok choy, apple, snow pea sprouts. Arrange on 2 plates. Top with the prawns and drizzle over the dressing. Top with the coriander leaves.

APPLE SPIDER

Preparation

10 mins

Makes 2 375 ml glasses

Ingredients:

4 apples, chilled

400 ml chilled lemonade

2 scoops lemon sorbet

sprigs of mint

Method:

Wash the apples, core and cut into pieces and juice. Combine the juice with the lemonade and pour into 4 large glasses. Top with a scoop of sorbet and mint sprigs.

Serve with long spoons and straws.

APPLE PIE

Preparation

1 hour

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

6 apples- cored, peeled and finely sliced.

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or juice 1/2 lemon

30g butter

1 egg white lightly beaten

extra sugar

Method:

Combine apple, sugar, flour, spices, salt and vanilla or lemon juice, toss lightly. Grease a 23 cm pie dish, preferably tin. Reserve 1/3 pastry for lid. Roll our remainder on lightly floured board and use to line the pie dish. Spread over the apples and dot with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry to cover top of pie, trim edges, moisten and press together. Press edges with a fork or pinch a frill to scallop edges. Make a few slits on top crust for steam to escape, brush with egg white and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake in a pre-heated oven (hot) 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Lower heat to moderate; 160 degrees and bake for further 45 minutes or until pastry is golden and apples are tender. Serve warm, serves 6-8.

(Shortcrust pastry)

Sift 2 cups plain flour into large bowl with large pinch salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Rub in 185g diced butter with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Beat 3 teaspoons castor sugar with 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon iced water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Make a well in the centre, add the liquid and lightly work into the flour quickly with a knife. When dough starts to cling together use the fingers of one hand to gather into a ball, using a little more iced water only if necessary to dampen any remaining dry mixture and use ball of dough to gather it up. Knead dough lightly on a lightly floured surface.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes