Description/Taste
Envy™ apples are a small to medium-sized varietal, averaging 7 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to conical shape. The apple's skin is semi-tough, thick, firm, and smooth with a glossy finish. The skin also showcases a yellow-green base, almost entirely covered in a dark red to crimson blush, speckled with prominent white lenticels. There is some russeting in the stem's cavity, and the blush may have a striated, striped, to solid appearance. Underneath the surface, the white to ivory flesh slowly oxidizes and has a coarse, dense, and aqueous nature with a crisp and crunchy consistency. The flesh also encases a small central fibrous core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Envy™ apples release a fresh, subtly sweet aroma when sliced and are primarily sweet, balanced with a slight tanginess mixed with faint fruity, vegetal, and floral nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Envy™ apples are grown in both hemispheres, providing year-round availability in some markets.
Current Facts
Envy™ apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a New Zealand variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The late-season cultivar was bred in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, in 1985 and was released to commercial markets worldwide in the early 21st century. Envy™ apples were selected for their balanced, sweet, and tangy taste, crunchy nature, and thick skin, allowing the apples to be shipped long distances around the world. The apples are grown in both hemispheres, providing year-round production, and one of the variety's key features is its slow oxidizing flesh. Envy™ apples are rumored to be able to stay white for up to ten hours without oxidizing, a trait promoting the variety to be used for fresh preparations without the worry of the fruits discoloring. Envy™ apples are a popular commercial cultivar sold worldwide as fresh-eating apples.
Nutritional Value
Envy™ apples are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin C to strengthen the immune system while reducing inflammation, and potassium to balance fluid levels within the body. The apples also provide calcium and phosphorus to build strong bones and teeth, vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, and other nutrients, including boron, vitamin E, zinc, copper, iron, and B vitamins. Beyond vitamins and minerals, Envy™ apples may contain phytochemicals that protect the cells and rest of the body from damage inflicted by free radicals.
Applications
Envy™ apples have a balanced, sweet taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The apples are popularly consumed straight out of hand and are favored for their crunchy, semi-aqueous nature. Envy™ apples can also be sliced and tossed into salads, used as a fresh topping over pancakes and waffles, or chopped and stirred into yogurt. The apple's white flesh oxidizes slowly, allowing it to be used for school lunches, as a dipping vessel, in slaws, or served on charcuterie boards. Envy™ apples can also be layered into sandwiches for added crunch, incorporated into fresh spring rolls, chopped into salsa, or stirred into sparkling beverages, juices, or sangria as a fruity element. Try dipping the entire apple into chocolate or caramel as a sweet treat. In addition to fresh preparations, Envy™ apples hold their shape well and can be hollowed, stuffed, and baked with a rich crumble comprised of brown sugar, coconut, dark chocolate, oats, and hazelnuts. They can also be baked into bread, biscuits, and muffins or used in crisps, pies, and cakes. Beyond sweet dishes, Envy™ apples complement savory recipes and are often stuffed into pork or poultry, cooked into rice, or roasted and served as a side. The apples can also be sliced and baked into chips or dried into fruit leather as a chewy snack. Envy™ apples pair well with cheeses such as goat, manchego, parmesan, and brie, herbs including rosemary, parsley, and mint, nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios, and other fruits, including blood oranges, grapes, berries, figs, and citrus. Whole, unwashed Envy™ apples will keep for a week when stored at room temperature or for 1 to 3 months when stored in the refrigerator's crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Since 1996, apples cultivated in New Zealand are grown using a process known as Integrated Fruit Production or IFP. This production method allows the grower to examine their crop and determine a personalized blend of pesticides and fungicides to keep their orchard pest and disease free without the overuse of chemicals. Over 75% of New Zealand's apples are exported to other countries, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. Apple seasons are reversed between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, allowing the exports to be sent to markets that are out of season. Exporting apples is a challenging but lucrative practice as each country has strict regulations regarding unwanted pests and diseases. Before 1996, New Zealand apple growers were required to use pesticides according to an annual calendar to remove potential pests, regardless if whether it was needed or not for the orchard. This practice led to excessive use of pesticides, leading the regulators to establish the Integrated Fruit Production program. IFP allowed growers to monitor their crops using innovative systems and only spray for diseases and pests when necessary. The program was also used to encourage consumers that only the essential pesticides were being used, with growers doing their part to help protect the environment. Experts estimate that around 90% of New Zealand's apples are grown using the IFP method, including Envy™ apples, and many New Zealand growers refer to the method as "just using common sense" to produce quality apples.
Geography/History
Envy™ apples were developed at the Horticulture and Food Research Institute in Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. The variety was created from a natural cross between Royal Gala and Braeburn apples, and the first cross was made in 1985. Seedlings from the cross were planted in an orchard in 1988, and it took over twenty-five years of testing, breeding, and evaluations before the apples were selected as a new commercial variety, initially named Scilate. In 2009, Scilate apples were released to select commercial growers, and the variety was eventually renamed Envy™, a part of the branding campaign managed by Enzafruit. Envy™ apples were introduced to North America in 2010, where they were successfully integrated as a variety available year-round in commercial markets. Today Envy™ apples are grown in Hawkes Bay and the city of Nelson in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Chile, and are being tested for cultivation in Europe and England. Envy™ apples are available through grocers, supermarkets, and specialty distributors worldwide.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Envy™ Apples. One 
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