Red Prince® Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Red Prince® apples are a medium to large varietal, averaging 7 to 9 centimeters in diameter, and have a somewhat uniform, oblate to conical shape with broad, flat shoulders tapering to a narrow base. The apple's skin is semi-thick, smooth, taut, and glossy, showcasing a golden yellow base hue almost entirely covered in a crimson, ruby red blush. The blush is characteristically saturated, and the variety also exhibits prominent yellow-brown lenticels scattered across the surface and faint striping surrounding the stem cavity. The skin has a slightly bitter taste and can be eaten or discarded, depending on preference. Underneath the skin, the ivory-to-yellow flesh is firm, dense, and aqueous with a crisp, crunchy consistency. The flesh also encases a small central core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Red Prince® apples must be stored in a cellar for a few months after harvest. The variety is very tart and often considered unpalatable when freshly picked. After an extended period in a cellar, the apple develops balanced sugar and acidity levels, creating a sweet, tart, and tangy flavor that lingers on the palate.
Seasons/Availability
Red Prince® apples are harvested in the fall and are stored for several months to develop their flavor. The apples are generally sold beginning in the winter and can be seen in markets until the early summer.
Current Facts
Red Prince® apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a European variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The cultivar was discovered growing as a chance seedling in an orchard in the Netherlands and was released to commercial markets in the mid-20th century. Red Prince® apples are also known as Red Jonaprince apples and are a non-GMO, natural cultivar valued for its all-purpose nature. The variety is an early to mid-season apple, harvested several weeks before its parent variety, Jonagold, and Red Prince® exhibits high yields, has uniform fruits, and can be stored for extended periods. Red Prince® apples are considered winter apples as they arrive in markets after being stored to develop their flavor, and the variety can be consumed fresh or cooked in sweet or savory dishes.
Nutritional Value
Red Prince® apples are a source of zinc to fight off viruses and bacteria, vitamin C to boost the immune system, and vitamin E to reduce inflammation. The variety also provides fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin A to maintain healthy organs, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, copper to support nerve functioning, and other nutrients, including vitamin K, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, boron, and manganese. The apple's saturated, dark red skin is notably full of anthocyanins, colored pigments with antioxidant-like properties to protect the cells against free radical damage.
Applications
Red Prince® apples have a sweet-tart taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety can be consumed straight out of hand, savored for its tangy flavor, or the apples can be shredded into slaws, chopped into salads, or layered in sandwiches. Red Prince® apples can be served on cheese platters, dipped into nut butter, caramel, or melted chocolate as a snack, or thinly sliced and topped with herbs, cheeses, and other ingredients as a crisp appetizer. In addition to fresh preparations, Red Prince® apples complement sweet and savory cooked dishes and can be added to soups, roasted with root vegetables, or minced into stuffing. The variety can also be baked into strudel, crisps, tarts, pies, cookies, muffins, and cakes, or sauteed with spices and browned butter. Try cooking Red Prince® apples with French toast and cinnamon buns for enhanced flavoring. The apples can also be eaten with pulled pork as a sweet addition. Beyond main dishes, Red Prince® apples are popularly simmered into syrups, sauces, jams, jellies, and compotes. The variety can also be pressed into juice for mocktails, cocktails, ciders, and other beverages. Red Prince® apples pair well with nuts such as almonds, pine, pecans, and cashews, cheeses including brie, blue, parmesan, and cheddar, herbs such as sage, rosemary, mint, and thyme, and spices including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg. Whole, unwashed Red Prince® apples will last for several months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark location such as a cellar or refrigerator. The apples can be kept in professional cold storage until the early summer without losing quality.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Red Prince® apples are a brand name for Red Jonaprince apples. The brand name was derived from the apple's discoverers, the Princen brothers, who were apple growers in the town of Weert in the Netherlands. Wilhelmus and Antonius Princen were local nurserymen of Weert, and in 1994, they discovered a new seedling growing in their orchard. The brothers named the new seedling after their family and began propagating the tree for possible cultivation. In 1997, the Princen brothers patented the variety under the name Red Jonaprince. The patent was granted in 1999 under USPP 11112P in the United States but expired sometime around 2017. Later in the 21st century, a few growers began to relabel the apples as Red Prince® for increased consumer appeal. The name also allowed the variety to be distinguished from other varieties, such as the Jonagold or Jonamac. The marketing name became a favored moniker and has since been protected as a registered copyright in Denmark and Canada.
Geography/History
Red Prince® apples are native to the Netherlands and were discovered growing as a mutation of Jonagold apples in 1994. The natural mutation created a seedling in a Jonagold orchard, producing dark red, crimson fruits distinct from the other apples. This apple tree was located in the orchard of Wilhelmus and Antonius Princen in Weert, a city in the province of Limburg along the southern border of the Netherlands. The seedling was named Red Jonaprince, combining the apple's parentage of the Jonagold with the brother's last named Princen, and was selected for propagation as a new commercial cultivar. Red Prince® apples ripen several weeks before their Jonagold parent and have a longer season. Outside of Europe, Botden Orchards has the registered trademark of Red Prince® in Canada and is the only marketer of the variety within the country. Red Prince® apples were planted in Canada in 2001 and are grown in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. Today, Red Prince® apples are grown throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada in home gardens and through select commercial growers. The variety is also exported from Europe to markets in Asia and Africa.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Red Prince® Apples. One
is easiest, three is harder.| The Viet Vegan |
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Baked Apple Chips |
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