Pick of the Week - New Season Gala Apples
My pick of the week is undoubtedly the New Season Gala apples. All apples get harvested once a year only. There are about 900 varieties grown in Australia and several thousand world wide but no more than a dozen or so actually get to the general public. They are grown in every state and harvest starts in late January with the various strains of Gala apples and finishes in May with Pink Lady and Sundowner apples in Western Australia. Often the first good fruit misses our back to school week but not so this year - all our stores will have these delicious apples to pack in the lunch boxes. These early fruit are grown on Sydney's doorstep in the Bilpin district in the Blue Mountains and are usually in our stores within a day or two of harvest. They could not be any fresher!
Gala apples are medium, round shaped variety of apple. They have a crisp, dense flesh with a flavour sweeter than a Red Delicious apple.
Apples in general contain contain a dietary fibre called pectin that can also encourage good bacteria to live in your bowel and fight off any bad bacteria that try to settle there. They also contain lots of antioxidants and vitamin C... an apple supplies a quarter of your day’s vitamin C needs! Read more about why apples are good for us in this post.
HOW TO PICK
Choose firm apples free from insect bites. The flesh of the apple should not easily give way to finger pressure.
HOW TO STORE
Apples may ripen quickly at room temperature so store apples away from direct sunlight, preferably in the fridge to keep them crisp. Place them in a plastic bag to help keep them juicy and firm. If you prefer eating apples at room temperature, simply remove a few from the fridge each day. Don't store apples with pears or avocados as they produce a natural gas that speeds the ripening of those fruits.
