On Mon, 10 Oct 2005 19:44:20 +0100, Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
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Brian --- 'flayb' to respond wrote:

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...

I saw a newspaper report yeaterday which claimed the UK is the only
country in the world to grow an apple variety (Bramley) specifically for
cooking. Does anyone know if this is true?

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many reports and articles related to apple growing state that
the UK is
the only country to actually grow apples specifically for cooking. I have
always doubted this but have seen it many times and repeated in Google
searches. Foreigners are a peculiar lot!!

Surely the issue is that British 'cooking apples' cook down to a paste

Not!

whereas other apples don't. Non-british recipes expect apples to stay
in pieces rather than becoming a paste.

I'd say it was exactly the other way round. I loathe sweet apple pie
filled with mush/paste. A proper apple pie, as made by my ma or me, has
fruit pieces which are still visually distinct and intact,, and even
though it contains some added sugar, there's still the delicious hint of
cooking-apple tartness in the taste. That's why the bland smooth(real)
custard or cream sets it off to perfection. The apple-pie texture in the
mouth should be a heavenly tripartite combo of firm/crisp pastry,
non-mushy fruit, (but not al dente)and some drooly juice.

Janet

Exactly my feelings too.
All the apples here (Austria) seem to cook down to a mush. Great for
compote but that's it.

--
Tim C.