Day 74 - Hana Fuji Apple Sake

Today, I review Hana Fuji Apple Sake.  Sake is an alcoholic beverage made from rice where starch is converted into sugars that ferment into alcohol.  I only drink it occasionally, usually when eating sushi.  Hana Fuji Apple Sake is made by Takara Sake USA under the Hana line of flavored sakes.  Takara Sake USA was established in Berkeley, CA in 1983.  They also produce Mirin (cooking rice wine) and plum wine.  According to the website on the interweb, Takara Sake USA has taken pure snow melt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and superior rice from the fertile Sacramento Valley. To this, they apply traditional sake-making craftsmanship and modern technology to produce a sake worthy of the Takara mark.  My advice to Takara USA, "Watch out where the huskies go and don't you use that yellow snow melt!"

Hana Fuji Apple Sake would be a good introduction for new sake drinkers.  It has a sweet/tart apple flavor that works well served ice cold.  The alcohol content is 9% which is low, sake ABV can range from 5% to 20%.  The sweetness and low alcohol covers up the taste of rice quite a bit so I think someone who didn't much like sake could still dig this and might not even know what type of spirit it is.  The liquid is almost completely clear, sake can be cloudy or completely white with the unfiltered variety.  The bottle label was inspired by the Japanese Kimono.

Next time, I will tell you about Peck & Bushel Organic Fruit Co, an all organic apple orchard with a shit ton of apple varieties I've never heard of, several of which I will be reviewing.  Crunch on, drink on, domo arigato!



 

Day 73 - Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout

Blood and apples, apples and blood!  Today, I review Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout with Beets and Chocolate.

The vending company we used to have at work would stock Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and it was delicious but then alas, we switched vending companies.  We don't have regular vending machines.  We have a balance on our account and scan a card.  An e-mail was sent out that we should try to use up what was on our account before the change so I bought 6 packs of Kar's because I thought that would be my last chance to eat them.  It turned out that the vending company that took over also sold Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix.  Luckily, I dig 'em!

It’s a tasty combination of honey peanuts, Greek yogurt covered raisins, sesame sticks, tart apple pieces, butter toffee peanuts and almonds.  The dried apple pieces have a nice touch of cinnamon and tartness and a good chewy texture.

Next, Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout with Beets and Chocolate.  This is an unusual beer.  Like the cake that inspired it, the deep red color comes from beets, which add a rich, earthy character that complements the chocolate flavor and aroma. The foamy head of the nitro pour adds a creamy smoothness to the mouthfeel. But this liquid dessert still finishes like a beer – not sweet, but just as satisfying.

It is 5.5% alcohol, 35 IBU, come in 12oz. bottles and is a limited release.  I bought a 4 pack a year ago at Total Wine (check that place out, the best liquor store I've ever been to!) for $9.99.  I drank 3 of them but waited a long time to finally drink the 4th.  This beer is no longer available and although not my favorite, it was certainly worth a try.  The bottle was also really cool, showing skeletons at a royal dinner party.  I just saw a shirt on ebay depicting the scene!  See below.

Next time, I review Hana Fuji Apple Sake.  Domo arigoto and crunch on!

Day 72 - Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars and super-human drumming ability

Drummer extraordinaire Nick Nutter showed up at my house for band practice.  He had a bag of Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars and offered them to me saying his mom had gotten him a case of them and he knew I was down for all things apples.  I said yes, thanks!  When he handed me the bag, he winked at me.  Was he trying to tell me something?  We had been talking recently about how to get better on our instruments.  Maybe he just had something in his eye or maybe I winked at him but the message was clear, these Apple Bars could be the key to superior drumming ability.  I wondered if he had been eating these things for years.

I started pondering and researching the dietary habits of successful drummers.  I found that a whopping 99.9% of drummers eat!  Of those, a large percentage eat breakfast or snacks.  Most certainly, some of this food is consumed in bar form, as it is quick and convenient for the Rock 'n Roll lifestyle.  Kellogg's is a huge international company and apple is a very popular flavor so it is obvious that many drummers most certainly, quite possibly, to some degree, on some level eat Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars!

I decided to put this to the test.  I ate like five of them, gave it a little time to kick in.  I stretched out, took a deep breath and sat down behind the drums ready to throw down some phat John Bonham or Neil Peart beats.  Drum roll please...

I could not play I drum roll if there was a gun to my head or much of anything else!  My brilliant theory turned out to be somehow, wrong.  I guess I'll stick to guitar.

Anyway, Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars are surprisingly good.  They were fresh.  The whole grain oat crust was kind of dry but the proportion of apple filling inside balanced it out.  The apple filling was just sweet enough with a little cinnamon.  Yeah, not bad.

Next time, I review two products, Kar's Yogurt Apple Nut Mix and Ballast Point Red Velvet Stout.  Crunch on!

Day 71 - Blessed be the fruit, Rave

Blessed be the fruit, in this case, the fruit being the Rave apple.  I haven't reviewed an apple in a long time then I came across this beauty!  The Rave tastes like a combination of a Honeycrisp and a Granny Smith.  It has the snappy bite, juicy and crisp white flesh and thin skin of a Honeycrisp and the tartness of a Granny Smith.  It is also very slow to brown.  I find this to be a nice feature.  I put this to the test.  I cut the fruit in half, sliced up the the one half into small sections and put the other half in the refrigerator in a sandwich bag for the next day.  While oh so leisurely eating the slices, no brown whatsoever.  Today, examining and eating the other half, only the most slight start of browning.

It is a large apple.  See below picture.

The Rave is sitting next to a Roundys large egg.  It is not a jumbo but a good sized large one none the less.  Who feels like an omelette this weekend!  Also at the party, a trophy.  Granted it is a small trophy.  I like to keep one on hand in case of an award emergency.  It is a big apple.

Rave is the newest apple variety at Stemilt Growers.  Rave is the brand name for an apple cultivar called MN55 that was bred naturally through cross-pollination by David Bedford at the University of Minnesota’s apple breeding program.  Part Honeycrisp, and part MonArk (an early to ripen apple from Arkansas), Rave is the first apple to harvest in Washington State, coming off the trees in late July.  It’s also a very unusual characteristic for an apple as most apples don’t harvest in Washington until mid-August or September. The Stemilt website states, "Rave apples offer an incredible eating experience – it’s outrageously juicy with a refreshing and snappy zing."

So there ya go, Rave, a true party for your taste buds!  Next time, I review Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars.  Praise be, under his eye (guess what show I've been watching lately?) and crunch on!

Day 70 - Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal

Nothing takes me back to childhood like flavored Instant Oatmeal.  It is quick and easy to make, even for a snot-nosed kid.  It warms the belly and can fill ya up until lunch.

Today I review Quaker Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal and Better Oats Thick & Hearty Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal.

For most of my life, I just added hot water to the oatmeal, until my mom visited 7 months ago.  She added cold water and milk to her oatmeal and heated it in the microwave.  We got in a big fight about the proper way to make oatmeal.  Dishes and knives were thrown, name calling ensued.  We disowned each other as mother and son, tears were shed, the cops were called.  In the end, I realized that she was right, oatmeal is way better heated up in the microwave.  The oats soak up the water way better yielding a much smoother texture.  Making it with milk or half milk/half water also makes it taste better.

Now, I compare the two kinds of oatmeal.  Quaker is a classic.  There are generic versions that are very similar but this is the stuff of memory.  I like the texture, it is smooth and creamy.  There is a good balanced apple and cinnamon flavor with some tang, sweetness and spice.

I don't like the Better Oats kind as well.  The oats are thicker cut so it is a little chunkier and they don't absorb the water as much so it is a little runnier.  It also could be a little sweeter for me.  This oatmeal also includes flax seeds, known as an ancient grain, used by the ancient Druids in Pagan rituals!

So my pick is Quaker Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal.  The flax seeds in the Better Oats did not give me super-hero ancient Druid powers as I was hoping!

Next time, I review Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Soft Baked Bars.  Crunch on!
  

Day 69 - Seneca Apple Chips

A tale of apple chips times three.  Of tart, of sweet, of balanced thee.  Today, I review Seneca Apple Chips, the Original, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious version.

Seneca Apple Chips are made in Washington state's Yakima Valley, which is noted for being one of the best apple producing areas in the world (also for producing three quarters of the nations hops and many wines).  In addition to the chips I'm reviewing, Seneca makes Sour, Caramel and Cinnamon  apple chips, pear and sweet potato chips.  According to the Seneca website, they believe in farming and making products in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.  Some example of this: potato starches released during slicing are used to make recycled paper products, produce that doesn't meet their standards are composted to make topsoil and excess cooking oil is used to make environmentally-friendly bio-diesel fuel.

I like these chips.  They are big 'ol slices of apple, crunchy with a good fruit flavor.  They have no cholesterol.  I could not find what type of apple the Original chip is made out of.  The Original and Golden Delicious have 140 calories per serving, 30% of your recommended daily vitamin C and 8% daily fiber.  The Granny Smith have 150 calories per serving, 25% recommended daily vitamin C and 8% daily fiber.

They do all taste a little different.  Golden Delicious is the sweetest, Original middle, Granny Smith most tart.  I mentioned in my Apple Jacks blog that I crumbled some on my cereal and I wasn't lying.  It was excellent!  All three types of Seneca Apple Chips are good and it's hard to stop eating them!

Next time, I review a classic breakfast, Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal.  Crunch on people, if you don't have teeth, you can still gum the oatmeal!

Day 68 - Toaster Strudel Apple

Have I wandered into a fancy French bakery?  Not quite but sometimes you just need a little pastry in your life.  Bonjour Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Apple!

Toaster Strudels were introduced by Pillsbury in 1985 as an alternative to the Kellogg's Pop-Tart.  They are found in the freezer section and are sold in 6, 12 or 24 count boxes.  They have a flaky crust, some kind of sweet filling and come with a frosting packet to top each pastry.

There was a golden period of time when boxes included frosting packets 30% larger, also known as Megapackets!  These were glorious, gluttonous days indeed when like the ancient Romans, we could bath in frosting!  One of my biggest complaints normally is an underwhelming amount of frosting.  Pillsbury, I implore you, BRING BACK THE MEGA FROSTING PACKETS!

Here is a list of the Toaster Strudel flavors available.  Some are seasonal or may have been discontinued.

• Apple
• Apple Cream Danish
• Apple Cinnamon
• Blueberry
• Boston Cream Pie
• Chocolate 
• Cinnamon Roll made with Cinnabon™ Flavor
• Cherry
• Cream Cheese & Strawberry
• Danish Style Cream Cheese
• French Toast 
• Pumpkin Pie
• Raspberry
• S'mores
• Snickerdoodle
• Strawberry (the first flavor)
• Strawberry Apple
• Watermelon
• Wildberry

Now specifically, Toaster Strudel Apple.  'Tis good.  The crust is crisp with layers and they brown up nicely in the toaster.  The apple filling is decent, a good mix of sweet and tart with a touch of cinnamon.  There is never as much filling as the picture on the box, a little more would be good.  I in fact, had to pull a little of the filling towards the cut for the pic above so you'd see it but whatever.

I was supposed to have done it already but it got pushed back, next time the Seneca Apple Chips review.  Crunch on and get your breakfast on!

Day 67 - Rockstar Hardcore Apple

I'm home this Friday night but that doesn't mean I can't run around and get a little crazy!  I am planning to be up for a while, drinking Rockstar Hardcore Apple while wearing some fun slippers that look like Chuck Taylors!  These slippers are awesome!

Rockstar Hardcore Apple is tasty.  It is quite sweet but better than a lot of energy drinks, doesn't have the medicinal flavor that some do.  It reminds me of a Jolly Rancher apple candy or Pucker Sour Apple liquor.  It has 240 mg of caffeine per can and is 260 calories.  It contains no juice.  It is a very natural toxic green color (judging by the toxic waste I have seen in movies)

I decided to mix it with some booze (like I said, weekend with the woot-woot and whatnot!)  I don't have any vodka, that would be good.  I tried some mixed with Evan Williams 1783 bourbon, not great.  Then, I mixed it with some Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber Brandy (see my Day 65 review) quite tasty.  Finally, I added some Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.  That was ok but I recommend going very light on it, the hot cinnamon taste easily overwhelms the apple flavor and we need to taste the apple.  If it was Skittles, we would want to taste the rainbow but I digress.

I don't drink energy drinks too often but when I do, Rockstar Hardcore Apple is not a bad way to go Mutherfucka!  Next time, I review Apple Toaster Strudel.  Crunch on!

Day 66 - Apple Jacks

A is for apple, J is for Jacks, cinnamon toasty Apple Jacks.  According to a recent review by Tony the Tiger, "They're grrrreat!"  After reading more of the famous tiger's reviews of other products I noticed all his reviews declared, "They're grrreat!"  He is very enthusiastic but I don't know if I can trust his opinion.

Apple Jacks is a brand of cereal produced by Kellogg's and introduced to the US in 1965 as Apple O's.  In 1971, the name changed to Apple Jacks.  Originally, all cereal pieces were orange and O-shaped.  In 1998, O-shaped green pieces were added.  The product is described by Kellogg's as a crunchy, sweetened three-grain cereal with apples and cinnamon.

Being a cereal targeting children, there have been some interesting mascots over the years.  In the 1960's, it was the crude and terrifying Apple Guy.  In 1971, the Apple Jacks Kids became the mascots.  As of 2004, the mascots are a care-free Jamaican cinnamon stick named CinnaMon and an accident-prone apple named Bad Apple.

Anyway, I like Apple Jacks.  I wasn't sure if they had any actual apples in 'em but dried apples are listed as an ingredient.  To make my Apple Jacks more apple heavy, I added some crushed up Seneca Apple Chips and it was good!

I am a fan of cereal in general.  I eat it most mornings, trying many types and sometimes mixing two or three kinds together.  I tried my Apple Jacks combined with a new cereal that just came out, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Blasted Shreds, boom and it was da bomb diggity!  This stuff has more cinnamon than I have ever seen on cereal and with 26% of your daily dietary fiber, it'll help to keep you regular.  That means poop.                                                                                                                                                   












Next time, I compare three different types of Seneca Apple Chips, the Original, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith style.  Crunch on and get yer chip on!

Day 65 - Apple Brandy Challenge

The people have spoken, at least the voices in my head.  They said Apple Brandy!  Today I taste and compare 3 kinds, Door County Distillery, Calvados Morin, and Paul Masson Apple Brandy.

As you can see, they each have a distinct color, from clear to dark amber.  Here is some info about all three.

Door County Distillery Apple Brandy is made in Wisconsin from apple wine and fresh apples.  It is 35% ABV and semi-sweet.  A bottle retails for aprox $19.99.  I really enjoy it.  It has a nice aroma, an authentic apple flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.

Calvados Morin has been making brandy in the Calvados region of Normandy, France since 1889.  It is derived from apple cider from a variety on tannin-rich apples.  This stuff is aged in Limousin Oak casks for 3 years.  It is 40% ABV.  A bottle retails for aprox $24.99.  It does have a decent apple flavor but zero sweetness and high alcohol content gives it quite a bite.  It is quality stuff but comes across a bit harsh to me.  I do think it would make an excellent mixer, I wrote and then, therefore mixed said spirit with some Ocean Spray Cranberry Pineapple juice.  It wasn't the best combination but I did finish it for science.  I think it would mix well with apple cider and I will surely try it.

Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber is up next.  It is 27% ABV.  A bottle retails for aprox $8.99.  It is made with premium grapes distilled in California and then aged for 3 years in Oak barrels and bottled in Kentucky.  The brandy is then mixed with apple liquor or flavoring.  I wasn't able to find any info on this part of the process.  Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber is the cheapest of the three by far.  It is the thickest and the sweetest.  I do like it, although sweet, it is not as sweet as Pucker or Amaretto for example.  The aroma is more like a candy apple than a fresh one.

In conclusion, my favorite of the three is Door County Distillery Apple Brandy.  It is a Wisconsin product made with nothing but apples.  It has just enough kick to get ya where you're going, just a little sweetness, a good consistency and it represents the apple the best.  Calvados Morin has the best aroma and I appreciate their long tradition of excellence in distilling but at $25 a bottle, I won't be getting it again.  Paul Masson Apple Grande Amber is surprisingly good.  At only $8 to $10 a bottle, if you like apple booze, give it a try.

Alright, in my next blog, I will answer the age old question, long contemplated in mathematics: A is for apples + J is for jacks = ?  Stayed tuned and crunch on!

Day 64 - Rockit

Today's apple is the miniature Rockit.  They are sold in recyclable plastic tubes of 3 to 5 apples with a rocket shaped logo.  Going with this theme, I though it would be fun to send a bunch of these to Mars.  You could fit aprox 350,320 of these little guys in the payload bay of a space shuttle.  That would feed a lot of hungry Martians! 

I bought a big container with 3 lb of Rockit apples at Sendik's but I only found info about the tubes online.

The Rockit was launched in 2010 from Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.  It was bred to be small using crab apples mixed with other varieties.  They are pre-washed and marketed as a convenient, snack sized alternative to more unhealthy snacks.  The tube packages were designed so they could be displayed outside of the produce section.  The company slogan is, "your daily fruit blast" and they claim 65% more potassium and 10% more fiber than the average apple.  The fruit has a long shelf life.  The ones sold in the US are grown in Washington state.

The picture above show the size difference compared to an average sized apple.  I like the Rockit.  Unlike a crab apple, it is very sweet.  They are are crisp and juicy, pretty much everything you would want in an apple in a small package.  I think the Martians would like them unless they prefer humans.

Next time, I get my serious drink on with the Apple Brandy Blog!  I will compare 3 different kinds, Door County, Calvados Morin, and Paul Masson Apple Brandy.  It might take several shots to get the review right but luckily, apples are healthy!  Crunch on...

Day 63 - Organic Green Dragon

Chasing the dragon, eating an organic Green Dragon and listening to Nick Nutter's podcast, The Top Albums of 2017.  See below links to part 1 and 2.  Witness some spiky, edgy, fluffy and funly commentary on the music or 2017 that was the music of 2017!

 https://soundcloud.com/nick-nutter/the-top-albums-of-2017-part-i
https://soundcloud.com/nick-nutter/the-top-albums-of-2017-part-ii

The Green Dragon originated in 1920 at the famous (I'm sure you heard of it, dah!) Aomori Apple Research Center in Japan.  It is a cross between the Golden Delicious and the Indo, apples that also yielded the Mutsu and Shizuka.  

Green Dragon apples resemble a lime green Golden Delicious dotted with very small brown freckles. The skin is thinner than most green apples, yet also resistant to bruising.  It is one of the most aromatic apples on the market due to a plentitude of chemicals know as fruit esters.  Refrigerated, they will last for 2-3 weeks.

The flavor is very sweet, not too tart with some exotic fruit undertones of pineapple and pear.  At first, I found the inner flesh lacked crispness but as I continued eating, I realized it reminded me of the texture of a pear and it was good.  

Green Dragon, roar, twas' good!  Next time I hope for sky rockets in flight, an afternoon delight with the Rockit apple.  Crunch on!

Day 62 - Ginger Gold and Weihenstephaner Vitus

Ed Sheeran is doing a STADIUM tour!  I met this famous ginger just a few years ago when he was an up and coming singer/songwriting.  He performed on the Wakeup News at WITI, the Fox affiliate where I work.  He may be a more famous ginger but I was more excited when we had a rock star of fruit, Bob Barthel from Barthel Fruit Farm on the show in Sept of 2017.  He brought a couple apples I had never seen before, the Pippin (see my Day 43 blog, the biggest apple I had ever seen, big as a baby's head) and the Ginger Gold.  I tried a Ginger Gold that day and it was killer!

Ginger Gold is famous as the apple that Hurricane Camille brought forth. Camille brought devastating floods to Nelson County, Virginia in 1969, and the orchards of Clyde and Frances "Ginger" Harvey were badly washed out.  In recovering the few surviving trees around the edge of one Winesap orchard, another tree was found which Clyde Harvey recognized as being different. It was planted with the rest, but was found to produce yellow rather than red fruit.  An extension agent identified the parents as Golden Delicious, Albemarle Pippin and some other unknown variety.  The variety was eventually named after Clyde Harvey's wife.

I really enjoyed this early season apple, they start to ripen in August.  My Ginger Gold had a uniform shape and bright gold skin.  It was juicy and crisp with a mild but complex flavor, not too sweet but with tartness and even some spicy notes at the end.  It thought it had a slight ginger quality to it.

I will definitely get out to Barthel Fruit Farm in Mequon next season, as their website shows some apples that are new to me.  Now a beer review...

Weihenstephaner is the oldest brewery in the world, almost a thousand years old.  Weihenstephaner Vitus is one of the best beers I have ever tasted.  It is a wheat beer and a Bock beer (a Weizenbock) but unlike any Bock I have tried.

It has a complex character due in part to an extra long storage time.  It has a creamy mouth feel with some good head.  There is a strong aroma of bananas, cloves and citrus.  It has a high alcohol content of 7.7 % ABV with an IBU of 17.

Weihenstephaner Vitus yes, maybe Ed Sheeran would like it?

Next times, I review the organic Green Dragon.  Crunch on and get yer drink on!

  

Day 61 - Pazazz and Bean Flicker Coffee Blonde Ale

Today's apple is the Pazazz, whose company slogan is, "Wow Right Now".  Also, a beer review of Bean Flicker Coffee Blonde Ale.  It's my blog and if I want to include a beer review, that's my business dammit!

The Pazazz is a new variety that was formed from the parentage of the Honeycrisp and an unknown variety. It was created at an experimental (and possibly secret and/or evil) fruit farm near Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They rely on bees to cross pollinate the trees, a process which results in a new variety of apple of which only one of the parents are known.  Of thousands of apple varieties created in this method only a handful make the cut. The Pazazz was selected for its exceptionally sweet flavor and its ability to be successfully grown in a variety of different climates. 

The Pazazz is part of a group of apples that are being commercialized in a new fashion by Apple Varietal Development LLC. This new process involves a club model where growers in the club are the only ones permitted to grow and sell the variety. This transfers control of supply from the tree nurseries to the growers and keeps the market from becoming oversaturated with a specific variety. It also ensures the apples being marketed under a specific name such as the Pazazz meet a certain standard in terms of quality. 

Pazazz is a large apple.  The skin is greenish yellow with a red brush stroke pattern overlay.  It is very crisp and juicy (juicier than a Juici) with a nice sweet/tart flavor.  I think this guy has pazazz and I predict this will become a more well-known apple in the future.  Wow right now?  Yes!

Bean Flicker Coffee Blonde Ale is made by Odd Side Ales out of Grand Haven, MI.  I found this beer to be a pleasant surprise.  It tricked my brain drinking such a light tasting beer with coffee.  It didn't seem like it should work but did.  I have had coffee Porters or Stouts and they can sometimes be quite bitter.

It poured a golden yellow with a fair amount of carbonation.  The head dissipated quickly but there was a nice, creamy mouth feel.  The ABV is 4.5%.  It had an aroma of coffee, vanilla and cream.  I found Bean Flicker Coffee Blonde Ale refreshing but with substance.

Next time I review the Ginger Gold apple and maybe... another beer.  Crunch on and drink up!

Day 60 - Juici

This Juici better be juicy and I hope it's good because I bought a 14 pack of these at Costco.  We will see, and taste, and smell, and hear?

Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers, located in Wenatchee, and formed in 1934 became the 1st exporter of Washington state apples, bringing them to the World.  As you might have guessed, they developed the Juici apple made available in 2016.  It is a mix of the very popular and delicious Honeycrisp and the decent but waning in popularity Braeburn.  

Juici is a good apple.  It is medium sized, pretty uniformly round and has a crisp bite.  The skin is not too thick and has a good apple smell.  The white flesh is INDEED juicy and the flavor is sweet/tart with some floral notes.  My only complaint is there were some tiny brown spots on a number of apples with no apparent bruising from the outside.

Next time, I will attempt a sophisticated review of the Pazazz apple so if you are fabulous and posh enough to be worthy, check it out and crunch on!

Day 59 - Musselman's Apple Butter and french toast

Today I review Musselman's Apple Butter.  Musselman's is a family owned company founded in 1907 in Biglerville, PA.  They also make apple sauce, juice and cider, pie filling and vinegar.

I love this stuff!  I have tried other apple butters and this is the best.  It has a smooth, velvety  texture and is sweet but not cloyingly so.  They use a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipe using only fresh apples, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.  It has 30 calories a serving which is less than most jams and jellies, butter or peanut butter.

I have only found it in a 28oz jar (it also is available in 17oz) which is big so in addition to using it on toast, bagels and english muffins, my wife Laura has made some killer recipes with it!  This morning, she made apple butter french toast.

She spooned a hefty portion of apple butter between two pieces of mini Italian bread and dipped it into a mixture of eggs with vanilla and cinnamon.  We topped it off with some maple syrup and good lord, yum!

Check out my Day 36 blog, when Laura made an Apple Butter Streusel Muffin, also motherfucking good!  Thanks woman!

Next time, I review the JUICI apple.  Crunch on!