During my trip to Nelson I stopped once again at Richards' Orchards on the road to Mapua to see what apples they had out for sale in their rustic roadside shed and wooden bins beside the orchards.
While I was tempted by some crisp looking Braeburns, always a favorite, the most interesting to me was an heirloom cooking apple called "Ballarat." It's a large apple with beautiful green skin with a pink/red blush:
Apparently they are of Australian heritage and date back to the 1900's. I brought home a big bag and can't wait to use them. A pie would be easy, but I've got a few apple cake recipes I might also test with these.
My point really is to support growers who are trying to keep these heirloom varieties available for us all.
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