Ambrosia: One of the Newer Variety Apples

• • “The Ambrosia apple variety has a creamy flesh and wonderful taste …right up there with Royal Gala and Braeburn. This apple doesn’t oxidize or turn brown quickly so it’s a nice ingredient for your favourite fruit salad!” says Pete Luckett, host of the Food Network’s show The Food Hunter.
  • Although Ambrosia is a sweet apple, official taste comparisons have proved that even the most ardent fans of tart apples will be won over by its juiciness and crunchy texture.

Ambrosia is a low-acid apple, which makes it easier for kids and older people to digest.

• Once you have purchased Ambrosia apples, you should store them in the refrigerator crisper to ensure that they retain their flavor and texture.
• Three medium Ambrosia apples equal about 450g (1lb). One medium apple yields about 175ml (3/4 cup) of sliced apples.
• In an article written for the Vancouver Province newspaper, Stephen Wong, a leading Vancouver food consultant and chef, rated the Ambrosia 9 out of 10 for texture, juiciness, flavour, and general attributes.
• Ambrosia apples are now being grown by farmers in North America, Europe, Chile and New Zealand, and are available to purchase in stores around the world.
• In order to extend their availability beyond harvest time, Ambrosia apples are “put to sleep” in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage. CA storage takes cold storage a step further by lowering the temperature and the oxygen levels, so fruit can be stored for six months or more and remain harvest fresh.
• Ambrosias, like other apples, are loaded with health giving properties such as pectin, a cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre, and anti-oxidants, which are good for preventing heart disease.
• The original Ambrosia apple tree was grown from a chance seedling. Commercially viable chance seedlings are extremely rare; less than a dozen of these chance seedlings have found their way to market in the past 50 years.
• Ambrosia means “food of the gods” as depicted in ancient Greek mythology. The name was chosen by Wilfrid Mennell, who, with his wife Sally, discovered the original Ambrosia apple tree in their orchard in the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia.
• When first introduced to the public at the annual Apple Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ambrosia met with instant acclaim and has been a favourite of the Festival ever since.