Ida Red apples were developed in Moscow…Moscow, Idaho that is! The Ida Red was developed by the University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment in the 1930’s and released to the market in the 1940’s.
The Ida Red is a cross between two old-time New York apples, the Jonathan and Wagener that were the first gown in Penn Yan in 1791. The name Ida Red is a tip of the hat to the state that it was developed in.
The Ida Red is generally considered to be both sweetly tart and juicy. This is an apple that is great for eating fresh but also makes for the perfect old-fashioned goodness of baked apples because the Ida Red will hold their shape while baking.
In addition to being the perfect baking apples, this is an apple that would be an excellent choice for apple sauces, pies, and cakes. If you cook the Ida Reds with their skins on them, you can create a beautiful pink colored applesauce.
However no need to limit the Ida Red to cooking or eating out of hand, they make a great addition to salads and were found in a 2005 study to be one of the three apples with the highest levels of antioxidants.
The Ida Red is harvested from the end of September to approximately the middle of October and if refrigerated properly can last for several months.
