Flavor: Honeyed sweetness with hints of spiciness
Approximate Ripening: Early October
Uses: Eating and all-purpose usage
Trivia: Mutsu is named after the Mutsu Province of Japan, where the apple was developed in the 1930s. A cross between Golden Delicious and a Japanese apple known as Indo, Mutsu was released in 1948. But marketers were concerned that the English-speaking world wouldn’t take to fruit bearing a Japanese name—this was soon after WWII and before Fuji stormed the world market—so in 1968 they gave Mutsu a new name: Crispin. Now some retailers sell these apples as Crispin and some as Mutsu, but either way, it’s the same sweet apple. Back in Japan, it’s nicknamed “Million Dollar Apple” due to its popularity.
Notes: Just one Mutsu can be a meal unto itself. These apples, colored bright green that tapers into a faded yellow, grow big! If you don’t have someone to share it with, don’t worry: Mutsu packs an entire day’s worth of soluble fiber, plus it contains a fair amount of Vitamins A and C. Mutsu is an excellent all-purpose cooking apple. Known by some as the “Oven Buster” because of its immense size, you’ll find you won’t need many to fill your apple pie. Try hollowing one out, stuff and batter it, and then fry or slow cook it into a sauce. Makes fine applesauce and goes great with cheese and salads (it won’t brown quickly).