Daniel Fele Renet Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Daniel Fele Renet apples are a medium to large varietal and have a round to conical shape with broad, squared shoulders tapering to a narrow, flat base. The stem is short, thick, woody, and stout, connected to the fruit by a shallow cavity that may have some russeting. The base of the fruit also has some rippling or bumps surrounding the calyx. The apple’s skin ripens from green to yellow-green or golden yellow and is covered in large patches of dark red blush. The color saturation of the blush varies, depending on sun exposure during cultivation, and some fruits may have visible burgundy to maroon stripes overlaid on top of the blush. The skin also features prominent pale lenticels scattered across the surface. Underneath the skin, the white to ivory flesh is coarse, semi-aqueous, firm, and dense with a crisp consistency. Daniel Fele Renet apples can be consumed raw when ripe and have a rich, sweet, sharp, and tangy taste with nutty nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Daniel Fele Renet apples are harvested in the late fall through early winter and can be stored through the early spring.
Current Facts
Daniel Fele Renet apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a rare heirloom variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. Little is known about this apple cultivar. Most records surrounding the variety mention that it was once a favored dessert apple, meaning it was traditionally consumed out of hand. Daniel Fele Renet apples are said to share a similar flavor to Blenheim Orange apples but are smaller in size and slightly sharper in tanginess. The apples grow on moderately vigorous trees and are a late-season variety harvested in the fall. In the modern day, Daniel Fele Renet apples are not commercially cultivated and are an elusive apple only offered through a few specialty growers worldwide.
Nutritional Value
Daniel Fele Renet apples have not been studied for their nutritional properties. Like other apple varieties, in general, the cultivar is a source of vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, calcium to build strong bones and teeth, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and potassium to balance fluid levels within the body. The variety also provides iron to produce the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, copper to develop connective tissues, magnesium to control nerve functions, and other nutrients, including vitamin E, boron, zinc, and vitamin K. The apple's pigmented skin contains anthocyanins, natural compounds with antioxidant-like properties that protect the cells against free radical damage.
Applications
Daniel Fele Renet apples have a sweet and sharp taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. Uses of the variety have not been recorded beyond mentioning that the apples are a favored fresh eating or dessert cultivar. Daniel Fele Renet apples can be consumed out of hand and incorporated into recipes calling for raw, sweet apples. The fruits can be chopped into salads, shredded into coleslaws, layered into sandwiches, or topped over parfaits and oatmeal. Daniel Fele Renet apples can also be simmered into jams, jellies, compotes, and preserves or cooked down into an applesauce. While less common, Daniel Fele Renet apples can be incorporated as fillings for baked goods such as pies, cookies, bread, turnovers, and fritters. Daniel Fele Renet apples pair well with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, herbs including mint, basil, and cilantro, nuts such as almonds, pine, and walnuts, and cheeses including parmesan, goat, brie, and feta. Whole, unwashed Daniel Fele Renet apples will keep for 3 to 4 months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, such as a cellar or refrigerator crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Daniel Fele Renet apples belong to a category of apples commonly known as reinette or rennette. There are many theories as to why this descriptor is used for apples. One theory connects the word’s origins to the Latin “renatus,” meaning “rebirth.” This alludes to the cycle of grafting an apple cultivar onto rootstock, as the term reborn apple is used for grafted apples. Another widespread explanation among etymologists is that reinette stems from “rainette,” an old French word for “little frog.” The amphibious moniker was given to heirloom apples as they often had speckled surfaces from lenticels, russeting, and sun exposure. Throughout history, there have been many varieties of reinette apples, including Golden Reinette, Ananas Reinette, Reinette Simirenko, Calville Blanc d’Hiver, and Orleans Reinette.
Geography/History
The history of Daniel Fele Renet apples is mostly unknown. The National Fruit Collection in England has an online database that recorded Daniel Fele Renet apples being introduced to the collection from samples sent from the University of Agriculture in Budapest, Hungary, in 1948. This information was also mentioned in pomologist and fruit historian Dr. Joan Morgan’s “The New Book of Apples.” Beyond its introduction into the National Fruit Collection, the creation of Daniel Fele Renet apples has remained a mystery. Some pomologists hypothesize that the variety may be a descendant of Golden Reinette apples, but this theory has not been proven. Today, Daniel Fele Renet apples are a very rare cultivar not found in commercial orchards. The variety is mainly planted in preservation orchards or grown through select apple enthusiasts in Europe and North America.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Daniel Fele Renet Apples. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Kitchen Therapy |
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Stuffed Date + Walnut Apple |
| Figs & Pigs |
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Hot Apple and Ginger with Maple and Rosemary |
| Snappy Gourmet |
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Mini Walnut Apple Pies |
| Nellie Bellie |
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Ginger Apple Cookie |
