Lost Word of the Day - Oporopolist

oporopolist	n	1671 -1725
fruit-seller
Our opropolist's oranges often offer odd odours.

Our local oporopolist sells golden delicious apples. If you've never heard of them, then I suggest you read the Wikipedia entry about how they came to exist. It's West Virginia's state fruit, and pretty famous in its own right. First held in 1972, the Golden Delicious Festival is annually hosted in Clay County, West Virginia.

Other apples, like the Grimes Golden, also originated in West Virginia. But none is so famous than the Golden Delicious. My husband and younger son prefer Gala and my oldest son is a big fan of the Granny Smith. I'll take a Golden Delicious any day over those or any other varieties.

The Golden Delicious sucks for making pies. It gets too soft and squishy. Try it in a cobbler and you'll get mush. Because it's really juicy and has a naturally sweet flavor, it makes a great apple juice or cider. And perfect for making sugar-free applesauce or apple butter. It works okay in fruit salads as long as you're eating them that same day. This variety is soft and prone to bruising easily.

The Golden Delicious is best when plucked straight of the tree in the afternoon when it's had a few hours of the sun's warmth. When your teeth sink through the peel, the juice pours into your mouth. It's not quite as crunchy as a red delicious and because if all the juice it retains will fell much heavier than other varieties when ripe.

If you're shopping for golden delicious apples, avoid dark spots or soft places, as it's a sign of bruising. Some spotting is normal, as with other "yellow" varieties, but it shouldn't have anything larger than a pencil point. Skip any that have wrinkles on the peeling - it means they were kept too long in cold storage or not kept cool enough during storage. If the stem end of the apple has scabbing or the overall color is more bronze than yellow, don't buy it.

The perfect Golden Delicious apple will feel heavy in your hand. The peel might range from pale green to creamy yellow in color. If it's had the experience of warm afternoons and cool evenings, it may even display a slight blush across the top of one side. The texture of the skin will be firm, clear, and smooth. And the taste will be incredibly sweet.

So if you're in West Virginia during the autumn months and looking for a healthy snack, try a Golden Delicious Apple. These aren't the "yellow delicious" marketed by some fruit sellers. Insist on the state's finest variety of apple, and you won't be disappointed.