National Bramley Apple Week (UK) 6th - 13th February 2011
February 6th sees the start of Bramley Apple Week in the UK, but what’s so great about this apple and why are we celebrating?
For those of you who don’t know, here’s a brief rundown on why the Bramley is known as “The King of Cooking Apples”
The Bramley began its life in Southwell, Nottinghamshire between 1809 and 1813, where a young girl named Mary Ann Brailsford sowed some apple pips in her garden and the first Bramley tree was born.
By 1837 the tree had started to bear fruit and when Matthew Bramley brought the property in 1846 it was flourishing. A local nurseryman named Henry Merryweather saw these fruit had great commercial potential and agreed with Matthew that he would take cuttings on the understanding he named the apples Bramley.
Today Bramleys continue to only be grown in the UK and the original tree is said to still bear fruit.
The Bramley is held in high regard by professional chefs and home cooks alike due to its unique qualities and versatility. It is commonly thought of, as by far the best apple to use in cooking, for both savoury and sweet dishes.
The levels of malic acid and sugar found in apples is what determines their sharpness or sweetness.
In dessert (eating) apples you will normally find a lower level of acid but a higher content of sugar. Whilst this gives them their sweet flavour is does mean they tend to lose this after they are cooked.
With a higher acid content but lower sugar level the Bramley keeps much more flavour once cooked.
Dessert apples can remain a little tough even after cooking but the Bramley will become softer and easier to 'melt' in you mouth.
If you have brushed past the Bramley on your way through the fruit section it would be worth stopping for a while and checking out some of the recipes we will be including to see if you can make more use of “The King of Cooking Apples”
Fruit Tarts Picture by © Stephane Tougard