Empire is a variety of apple which is a cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious and takes on the best characteristics of both. It is redder and firmer than McIntosh, and because it stores longer it provides the marketplace with a McIntosh-type apple well into the spring. Some claim that
Empire' s flavour, like fine wine, improves during storage. It combines the mild tartness of McIntosh with full-flavoured Red Delicious sweetness. In 1989 24 leading international apple researchers were polled as to what they considered the ten best apple varieties in the world, and they ranked Empire No. 7. It is excellent for eating out of hand and in salads and for use in baking and cooking. Research Empire
The Golden Delicious apple was found as a seedling in West Virginia, USA, in the 1880's. The tree is in full bloom from early to mid-October and the fruit is harvested from late February to mid-March. It is a medium to large apple, green when harvested, ripening to a golden yellow colour. The skin has conspicuous lenticels. The flesh is green-white and crisp and the taste is sweet, fragrant and juicy. It is a superb eating apple. It is very good for baking, holding its shape, and excellent for use in salads. In certain areas and under specific climatic conditions the Golden Delicious has a delicate pink blush. Research Golden Delicious
The Granny Smith apple derives its name from a real granny Smith, Mrs MariaSmith, who discovered this seedling in her garden in Australia in the 1860's.
Granny Smith is in full bloom from middle to late October and is harvested from late March to late April. It is a medium to large apple, varying in colour from light to bright green. In cooler areas it will develop a red blush. The lenticels are well developed. The flesh is firm, white and crisp. The taste is slightly tart, yet sweet. It is an excellent eating apple and good for baking, and excellent for sauces or purees. Research Granny Smith
Idared is a variety of apple produced from a cross of Jonathan and Wagener and first raised in Penn Yan in 1791. The fruit is particularly suited to baking as it keeps its shape. Research Idared
Peasgood Nonsuch is an English species of apple first produced by Mrs Peasgood of Lincolnshire who raised this apple around 1855 and in 1872 it was introduced to the market by Laxtons as 'one of the most handsome apples in cultivation.' The apples are very large fruit and are excellent for baking and crisp and juicy if eaten fresh. Research Peasgood Nonsuch
Starking is a variety of eating apple that originated in the USA in the 1920' s and is a mutation of Red Delicious. The Starking is in full blossom in mid- October and is harvested in early March. It is a medium to large apple with red stripes on a green-yellow background. The stripes are sometimes poorly developed. Russeting often occurs at the stem-end. The flesh is cream and the texture is crisp. It is sweet and juicy and a very popular eating apple, but is poorly suited to baking. Research Starking
Topred is a variety of apple that was discovered in the 1950's in Columbia, USA. It is a mutation of Shotwell Delicious, which was itself a mutation of Red Delicious. Topred is in full bloom from mid to late October and is harvested from late February to early March. Topred has a deep red colour, more uniform than a Starking and with conspicuous lenticels. It is a medium to large fruit. The flesh is creamy-white in colour with a crisp texture. The taste is sweet and juicy and delicious to eat. This apple is not suited to baking. Research Topred
Budding yeasts are true fungi of the phylum Ascomycetes, class Hemiascomycetes. The true yeasts comprise the family Saccharomycetes, which has but one genusSaccharomyces, but includes at least ten species. The classification of yeasts is a specialized field using cell, ascospore, and colony characteristics for distinguishing genera, and physiological characteristics - particularly the ability to ferment individual sugars - to identify species. Yeasts are heterotrophic, lack chlorophyll, and are characterized by a wide dispersion of natural habitats. Common on plant leaves and flowers, yeasts are also found on the skin surfaces and in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals, where they may live symbiotically or as parasites. In women, who are pregnant or taking antibiotics, an infection of the vagina and vulva caused by a yeast like fungus Candida albicans, is common. Yeasts are also found in soil and saltwater, where they contribute to the decomposition of plant and algal matter.
Yeasts multiply as single cells that divide by budding or direct division, or they may grow as simple irregular filaments. In sexual reproduction most yeasts form asci, which contain up to eight haploid ascospores. These ascospores may fuse with adjoining nuclei and multiply through vegetative division or, as with certain yeasts, fuse with other ascospores. The most well-known and commercially significant yeasts are the related species and strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These organisms have long been utilized to ferment the sugars of rice, wheat, barley, and corn to produce alcoholic beverages and in the baking industry to expand, or raise, dough. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is commonly used as baker's yeast and for some types of fermentation. Yeast is often taken as a vitamin supplement because it is 50 percent protein and is a rich source of B vitamins, niacin, and folic acid. The yeast's function in baking is to ferment sugarspresent in the flour or added to the dough. This fermentation gives off carbon dioxide and ethanol. The carbon dioxide is trapped within tiny bubbles and results in the dough expanding, or rising. Research Yeast
In Pima mythology, Humanmaker was the creator who made mankinf by making clay models and baking them in an oven, with a little help and hinderance from Coyote. Research Humanmaker
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Empire
