Katy Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Katy apples are small to medium-sized fruits, averaging 6 to 7 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to conical shape with broad, curved shoulders tapering to a narrow base. The fruit’s skin is smooth, taut, and semi-tough with a faint sheen and ripens from green to shades of yellow-green, covered in large patches of dark red blush. The blush features crimson and dark red broken striping over a scarlet flush, and the surface develops a somewhat greasy feel with maturity. Underneath the surface, the white, ivory, to cream-colored flesh is aqueous, fine-grained, and crisp with a semi-firm consistency. The flesh also encases a moderately sized central fibrous core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Select ripe fruits that feel heavy for their size, indicating high juice content. Katy apples are edible raw and have a sweet, sharp, and refreshing flavor with notes of acidity and subtle strawberry nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Katy apples are harvested over a period of a few weeks in the late summer through early fall.
Current Facts
Katy apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a Swedish variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The early-season apples were developed through a Swedish research institute in the mid-20th century and were selected as a commercial cultivar for the apple’s coloring and sweet-tart flavor. Growers favor Katy apples for their productive, easy-to-grow nature, disease resistance, cold tolerance, and high yields. The variety can be planted in northern regions with short summers and are excellent pollinators as their blooms last longer on the tree to provide an extended pollination period. Since their release, Katy apples have been a lesser-known commercial variety primarily grown in Europe. The variety is also known as Katja apples, their original name given in Sweden, and are a popular early-maturing apple for home gardens and local markets. Katy apples are a versatile, multi-purpose variety eaten fresh as a dessert apple, incorporated into baked goods, or juiced for ciders.
Nutritional Value
Katy apples have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Like other bi-colored apples, the variety contains anthocyanins, pigmented compounds with antioxidant-like properties to protect the cells against the damage caused by free radicals. Katy apples also provide vitamin E to reduce inflammation, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin C to boost the immune system, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, calcium to build strong bones and teeth, vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, and other nutrients, including manganese, vitamin A, zinc, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Applications
Katy apples have a sweet-tart taste suited for raw and cooked preparations. The variety is favored fresh out of hand and is savored as a snacking fruit. Chilling the apples before serving is recommended to enhance their sweet and refreshing nature. Katy apples have slightly tough skin, allowing them to be placed into school lunches without the fear of damage. The apples are also sliced and served with dips and spreads, dipped whole in caramel as a crunchy treat, or used as an edible topping over porridges, parfaits, pancakes, and oatmeal. Try layering Katy apples into sandwiches for added crunch, tossing them into salads, or mixing them into fruit medleys. In addition to fresh preparations, Katy apples are occasionally baked into crumbles, pies, cakes, and tarts. The flesh retains its sweet and sharp flavor and breaks down into soft chunks. Katy apples can also be simmered into jams, jellies, and other preserves or cooked into sauces and syrups. Beyond culinary dishes, Katy apples are pressed into juice and mixed into smoothies, fruit beverages, shakes, and ciders. The juice bears a light pink, red, and orange hue and adds a refreshing flavor as well as an aesthetic appearance. Katy apples pair well with vanilla, caramel, spices such as nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, nuts including almonds, walnuts, and pecans, and herbs such as mint, parsley, and rosemary. Whole, freshly harvested Katy apples should be immediately consumed for the best quality and flavor. The apples have a short shelf life, lasting around one week at room temperature. When stored in the refrigerator's crisper drawer, the variety will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Katy apples are popularly used as a sweet and sharp fruit in modern versions of Scanian apple cake in Sweden, also known as skansk appelkaka. Scanian apple cake is a traditional dessert comprised of a mixture of grated bread, browned butter, spices, and apple compote, and is made in Scania, the southernmost province of Sweden. Recipes for apple cake date back to at least the mid-1700s in Sweden and are thought to have been made centuries before the first documentation. Several cookbooks in the 1750s share similar dessert recipes, including additional ingredients such as currants and citrus peel. Over time, many cake variations were made, and kavring became a popular bread choice. Kavring bread dates back to the 1500s and could be stored for extended periods, becoming a favorite of travelers, farmers, and seamen. The bread has a dense, rustic nature and provides a semi-sweet flavor to the cake. Other types of bread were used in the 19th century, and chefs began modernizing the recipe to create a rich, balanced taste. Scanian apple cakes were historically served as dessert to the feast of Marten Gas, also known as St. Martin’s Day. The annual celebration is held on November 10th and is a time for family and friends to gather and eat a festive meal. The star of the feast is a goose, as it was the chosen symbol of St. Martin, but apple cakes are a customary dessert served at the end of the meal, a tradition that was thought to have been established around the 1850s.
Geography/History
Katy apples were developed in the mid-20th century through the Balsgard Fruit Breeding Institute in Kristianstad, Sweden. The variety was bred in 1947 from a cross between Worcester Pearmain apples and James Grieve apples. Worcester Pearmain apples are thought to have contributed their signature but subtle strawberry flavor and early-season nature to Katy apples. The other parent cultivar, James Grieve apples, are also early-season apples with an acidic juice, giving Katy apples their sweet-sharp taste. After the initial cross was made, the new variety was labeled BM 24353 and was selected in 1955 for further evaluation. The apple was released to the public in Sweden under the name Katja in 1966. In 1968, Katja apples were sent to the United Kingdom and were planted in the National Fruit Trials. Sometime during their introduction into England, Sir James Mount, a fruit grower from Kent, renamed Katja apples to Katy apples to fit English consumer preferences. Today, Katy apples are commercially cultivated in Sweden and other parts of Europe. The early apples are only available in limited quantities for a short season and are typically sold through farmer’s markets, directly through growers, or select retailers. The variety is also planted in home gardens as a seasonal delicacy.
