While it may surprise some to learn that apples are part of the rose family, it’s not so inconceivable to learn apples are historic symbols of love, youth, beauty and happiness.
During the summer and into the fall, apple trees in Hawaii are bountiful with the sweet, juicy fruit. Mountain apples, or Ohia ai (pronounced oh-he ah eye) in Hawaiian, are red, slightly crunchy, perfectly sweet and refreshingly delicious. The beautiful, somewhat pear-shaped fruit have paper thin skin, therefore require delicate handling. Mountain apples tend to only last a few days before bruising, which is why they are commonly found in farmers markets and roadside farm stands, rather than grocery stores.
Mountain apples are shiny, like a a well-polished apple, but their texture is very similar to a juicy pear. The flavor is also reminiscent of a pear, however the seeds look more like marble-sized date pits, and are not recommended for consumption.
Ohia ai trees were introduced to Hawaii by Polynesian settlers from Malaysia. Early settlers found the wood useful for building, the fruit for eating, and the bark for its medicinal qualities in treating open wounds. Early Hawaiians also made dye from the fruit to decorate their tapa bark cloth.
The mountain apple has a variety of names, depending on where it is grown. For example in Tonga, it is referred to as fekika kai. In Fiji, it is called kavika. In Guam, it is makupa, and the French call the fruit, jambosier rouge.
Mountain apples are usually eaten fresh or made into jams, applesauce and pickles. Over-ripened apples can also be made into a sweet wine. When cooked with fresh ginger, lemon juice, cinnamon and then smoothly processed in a blender, they make a delicious mountain apple sauce.
Boasting very few calories (about 45 calories per apple), one gram of dietary fiber, and one gram of protein, the fruit is loaded with water and makes a tasty treat for lucky hikers and backpackers.
One of the downfalls of mountain apples is that the fruit tends to all ripen at once, so if not used immediately, much of it goes to waste and either attracts flies, or feeds all the feral pigs in the neighborhood. It’s best to harvest as many apples as possible and find ways to prepare them for future use. Mary Crouse, a baker’s apprentice at Oven &Butter in Captain Cook, shares how she uses mountain apples for making applesauce.
“I started baking when I was a little girl,” said Crouse. “I always loved working in the kitchen with my mom and my grandma. I grew up in Michigan where there were a ton of apples. We would always try to eat the fruit that was in season and save it for the whole year. We would get bushels and bushels of apples and take a couple of days and just make applesauce, then we would freeze it in plastic bags to eat later. You can also use the applesauce as filling for pies or turnovers. I’ve even used applesauce in place of butter or eggs. You can change the recipe and use half butter, and half applesauce. Something about the consistency of the applesauce acts in place of the butter and makes it moist, but with less calories.”
Crouse shared her recipe for applesauce, applesauce bread, and apple pie filling with topping.
Applesauce
10 cups peeled and diced mountain apples
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir and put on low heat. Cover and simmer until apples are soft and water has evaporated, about one hour, leaving only sauce. Add more water while cooking so as to not burn apples. Raise or lower sugar depending on sweetness of the apples.
Let cool and freeze in plastic freezer bags for future use.
Applesauce bread
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup yogurt
1 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
2 cups of flour
Mix together wet ingredients and dry ingredients in two separate bowls then mix together. Pour into a well-greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for one hour or until tester comes out clean.
Apple pie filling and topping
Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
6 cups apples, peeled and sliced
Mix together and place in a pie crust.
Topping
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cold butter
3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
Crumble together and mix well. Cover the pie with topping. Bake pie at 375 degrees for one hour, being careful that it doesn’t bubble over.