A Unique Gift for Teacher

Welcome back!!   I haven't had time to do much creating in the last month, but I did make some fun teachers gifts.  I made several varieties of apples in trying to keep with the tradition of bringing your teacher an apple.

Suprisingly enough, all these apples in the photo above are based off of actual apple varieties. I spent a lot of time scouring images of different apple varieties, and found some very pretty apples.  Each tiny apple is hand painted in layers of color then I finish them with a glossy glaze to achieve a glass like look.

This is my replica of the Black Arkansas Apple.  The Black Arkansas Apple is shaped a lot like a plum, it is much rounder than the apples you normally see.  These apples are usually picked when they are a deep crimson red, almost burgandy, and they darken to a deep purple to black as you store them.  It is believed that they were cultivated in Arkansas in the 1840s by a man named John Crawford.  It is usually a apple that is stored, and gets better as it ages.  It is said to have yellow flesh, and is sweet and tart like a dessert apple.   The flavor is known for being complex and has honey and almond undertones.   

This pretty apple is the Ginger Gold Apple.  In 1969 Hurricane Camille left Nelson County, Virginia flooded. Clyde and Francis "Ginger" Harvey's orchards were devastated, and while trying to recover what trees they had left, they discovered one tree that was different then the others.  The Ginger Gold is a rounder shaped apple, that varies from a pale golden apple with a pink blush, to a rich golden color.  The flesh is a cream color, and the apple has a mild flavor with a tart finish.  The Ginger Gold is used a lot in making apple pie.   The Ginger Gold was the offspring of Golden Delicious, Albemarle Pippin, and an unknown apple.

The Jazz Apple has the more familiar enlongated apple shape.  It is a very golden yellow color, with a rich orange rusty colored blush that darkens to red with age.  The Jazz apple was cultivated in 1985 in New Zealand.  They are a cross between Gala and Breaburn apples.  They are sweet, and a densed fleshed apple that are great for eating fresh, or baking in pies.

 The Granny Smith Apple was cultivated in 1868 by Maria Ann Smith in Australia.  The Granny Smith is an enlongated apple shape that contains pretty bright green an yellow colorations.  The Granny Smith is actually the only apple I am familair with on this list.  I have had the on many occasions, alone, and in candy apples. 
Yumm!!

These Duchess Apples have a very water color feel, to an extent they all do, but these really do.  The duchess apple has the familair apple shape.  They ripen in a very stricking way though.  They are a pretty yellow green, then as time goes by pinks and red start appearing around the middle of the apple leaving the shoulders green.  The Duchess Apple is believed to come from Russia in the early 18th century.  These apples are often used in making apple pie. 

The Viking Apple is a beautiful crimson red apple sometimes containing burgandy tones with an enlongated apple shape.  This apple was introduced in 1969, on the east coast of the United States, and is used mostly for making pies.  It is known to have tart white flesh.

The Pink Pearl Apple  is a pink fleshed apple.  The skin is a creamy translucent color, The pink flesh can add pink tones to the outside of the apple from the inside.  The apple was developed in 1944 by Albert Etter in northern California.  I read somewhere that they make a fun pink applesauce.

This fun apple is the Maiden Blush Apple.  The Maiden Blush originated from New York in 1817.  This cutey caught my eye because of its donut shape, and fun coloration.  Most of the images I came across of this little cutie were green on one side pink on the other. 
I hope you enjoyed this little Apple Collection, it is seasonal and will only be offered a couple of times a year.

The Contestis still running as usual.  We are just finishing the Fall foods which will appear in my next blog.  Now feel free to start making your Holiday food suggestions :) in the comment section of the blog