Choupette® Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Choupette® apples are a moderately-sized varietal, averaging 6.5 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and have a round, conical, oblate shape with flat sloping shoulders, a broad middle, and a narrow base. The stems are slender, pliable, dark brown, and woody, connecting to the fruit through a deep, narrow, russeted cavity. Choupette® apples ripen from green to marbled yellow-green hues and are covered in large patches of dark red, maroon, and crimson blush. The bi-colored skin is semi-thick, taut, and smooth with a faint sheen, and russet spots and tiny pale-yellow lenticels are scattered across the surface. The lenticels are raised, giving the skin a slightly bumpy feel. Underneath the surface, the ivory flesh is firm, dense, fine-grained, and aqueous, with a crisp, crunchy, and succulent consistency. The flesh also envelops a small central cavity filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Choupette® apples are edible raw when ripe and release a rich aroma. The flesh has balanced sugar and acidity levels, creating a sweet-tart, tangy, and bright taste. If left in storage, the acidity will mellow, giving the fruit a sweeter flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Choupette® apples are harvested in the late fall and are sold in commercial markets from the winter through late summer.
Current Facts
Choupette® apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a modern French variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The late-season apple is exclusively grown in France and is a club variety promoted for its sweet taste, crunchy nature, and natural characteristics. Choupette® apples are disease resistant, especially to scab, allowing them to be less processed during cultivation. The apples also have extended storage properties for a longer season, and the fruit’s flavor becomes enhanced after a brief storage period. Choupette® apples are promoted as old-fashioned apples in appearance and texture, and the variety is a natural product of crossbreeding to develop fruit with improved disease resistance. Choupette® apples are produced organically and conventionally and are hand-picked at peak ripeness for the best quality and flavor. Consumers favor Choupette® apples for their balanced, sweet taste and incorporate the apples raw or cooked in a wide array of sweet or savory preparations.
Nutritional Value
Choupette® apples have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Like other bi-colored modern apples, the variety may be a source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, and calcium to protect bones and teeth. The apples also provide vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, iron to produce the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, copper to develop connective tissues, and other nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, 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
Choupette® apples have a balanced, sweet, and tangy taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is typically held in storage for a period of time before it is sold to develop enhanced sweetness. Choupette® apples are popularly consumed out of hand, and their crisp and juicy nature is highlighted when served on cheese boards, charcuterie platters, or layered into sandwiches. The variety can also be shredded into slaws, tossed into salads, or used as a topping over grain bowls, parfaits, and oatmeal. Try slicing and serving apple wedges with dips such as caramel, chocolate, or nut butter as a snack or layering slices over toast. The apples can also be cut into thin pieces, rolled into lettuce wraps, or chopped into salsa. In addition to raw dishes, Choupette® apples can be blended into smoothies or juiced and mixed into ciders, fruit punch, and cocktails. Choupette® apples hold their shape well when heated, making them suitable for baking galettes, tarts, streusels, crisps, muffins, cakes, pies, and bread. The apples can also be wrapped in pastry and baked whole. Beyond sweet dishes, Choupette® apples are minced and stirred into stuffing, packed into meats, or roasted as a savory side to pork. The variety is fried into fritters, cooked into applesauce, or stirred into rice-based dishes. Try simmering Choupette® apples into jams, jellies, and syrups. Choupette® apples pair well with cheeses such as goat, cheddar, gouda, and parmesan, herbs including basil, mint, rosemary, and parsley, meats such as pork, poultry, and turkey, and nuts including pecans, walnuts, almonds, and pine. Whole, unwashed Choupette® apples will keep for several weeks when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, such as a cellar or the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. The apples can also be dried or frozen for extended use.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The name Choupette® roughly translates from French to mean “sweetie.” The name was chosen for the apple variety to highlight the fruit’s sweet, balanced taste. Choupette® apples are often promoted as rustic apples reminiscent of home-grown varieties traditionally found throughout France. The cultivar has a slogan of “Get a great bite!” and is grown using environmentally focused practices to keep the fruits natural. Choupette® apples are cultivated in orchards certified with High Environmental Value, or HVE, which highlights that eco-responsible cultivation methods are being used. Choupette® growers use integrated techniques such as beehive placement in the orchards and introduced wildlife for improved pest protection. Cultivation is also transparent, with the fruits being openly traced from where they are grown to how they arrive to consumers. Choupette® apple growers are passionate about sustainability and are working to produce apples with minimal impact on the surrounding environment.
Geography/History
Choupette® apples are native to France and were developed in the early 21st century through Davodeau Ligonnière Nursery at the Institut National de la Recherche Pour L'agriculture, L'alimentation et L'environnement, also known as INRAE, in Angers. The variety was created in 2000 from a cross between two experimental apples known as Sel. X3174 and Sel. X 4598. The purpose of this cross was to produce a new commercial apple with increased resistance to scab, a common disease hindering modern-day apple cultivation. Davodeau Ligonnière Nursery eventually partnered with Valois Nursery to establish Dalival, a nursery specializing in stone fruit and apple tree creation. The first orchards of the new variety were planted in 2003, and the apples were initially called Dalinette. The trees produced their first season of fruits in 2005 and were commercially released a few years later. Dalinette was eventually rebranded under the name Choupette® for increased consumer appeal. In 2020, Choupette® apples were offered in an organic version under the name Choupette® Bio. Today, Choupette® apples are exclusively grown in France and marketed through Innatis, a collective French group of growers and commercial brands. The variety is only cultivated in the Loire Valley and Alsace region in France. When in season, Choupette® apples are sold through select retailers and distributors in France and are also exported to markets throughout Europe.
