What do you do with an Armagh Bramley Apple? Bake a tart or stew it up as a sauce for roast pork?
Perhaps you’d like to try something a little more exotic – maybe make an Armagh Bramley Apple Mousse, use it in a savoury dish like pan-seared rump of lamb with Armagh Bramley Apple and Mint Salsa, or perhaps impress your dinner guests with Sweet Armagh Bramley Apple Spring Rolls!
If that’s whet your appetite to see and try such dishes for yourself, then put this date in your diary – Saturday 6th September 2014 – when the inaugural Armagh Bramley Apple Festival takes place at the Shambles Market Yard in Armagh City from 10am until 6pm.
Being organised as part of Armagh City & District Council’s Armagh Bramley Development Programme, which is funded through the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (NIRDP) and administered through Southern Organisation for Action in Rural Areas (SOAR), the Festival is set to showcase Armagh Bramley Apples in their rightful place at the heart of the County’s historic tradition of culinary apple production and as an iconic Northern Irish food product that we should all take more pride in and celebrate for its unique characteristics.
The European Union has already given Armagh Bramley Apples such recognition, having awarded them Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. That places Armagh Bramley Apples in the same league as the likes of Jamón de Serón, Feta Cheese, Cornish Pasties, Edam Cheese, Jambon de Bayonne, Arbroath Smokies and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, to name but a select few, though not forgetting Lough Neagh Eels and Comber Early Potatoes!
Basically, what the PGI Quality Mark means is that no other bramley apple has quite the same attributes as one from the Diocese of Armagh, thanks to the distinctive climate and environmental conditions of the region in which they are grown and the way they are nurtured. Our Armagh Bramley Apples are a bit bigger than most, have a flatter top and bottom, are solid green in colour with a reddish blush, are more robust for a longer shelf-life, and, perhaps most importantly as a culinary apple, they have a delectable tangy flavour and maintain that taste and their texture when cooked. Now, is that not worth celebrating?
And celebration is what the Armagh Bramley Apple Festival is all about! At this free-to-attend event you can discover more about what makes Armagh Bramley Apples so special direct from the growers who produce them; learn about their history in the area, which can be traced back to the days of Saint Patrick when he is credited with planting an apple tree at the ancient settlement of Ceangoba, east of the City; watch local chefs on the Flogas demonstration kitchens create mouth-watering dishes from the new Armagh Bramley Cookbook, which will be launched at the Festival; check out the exciting and refreshing hand-crafted Armagh Bramley Apple juices and ciders that are being produced right here on your doorstep; and see what else they can be used for from other local artisan food companies – ever tried Balsamic Vinegar infused with Armagh Bramley Apple or Armagh Bramley Apple Ice Cream?
But that’s not all, while Armagh Bramley Apples are at the ‘core’ of the Festival, there will be plenty of fun and entertainment for the kids, while the adults can stock up their fridges and pantries from a select line-up of local artisan food producers – or maybe even grab a carry-out lunch as you’ve never had it before from an artisan street food vendor!
And you too could be a star of the show – the Armagh Bramley Apple Festival is calling for entries into the Best Armagh Bramley Apple Tart Competition. Open only to non-professional cooks, members of the public are invited to get baking and bring along their Armagh Bramley Apple Tart on the day for blind tasting by a panel of judges. And the prize for the winner? A box of new season Armagh Bramley Apples of course!
Local food producers interested in applying to exhibit at the Armagh Bramley Apple Festival or if anyone wants to find out more about entering the Best Armagh Bramley Apple Tart Competition should contact Kathy Jensen on 028 3833 2572 or Rhonda McDowell on 07578 334082 or email armaghbramleyapple@gmail.com.