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Quebec Apples

Quebec apples: a world of possibilities

McIntosh, Lobo, or Gala, all apples are versatile and oh-so-practical in the kitchen. From lunchbox muffins to your Sunday roast, the possibilities are endless!  

We’ve put together a short guide on how to choose, store, and enjoy your delicious fresh-from-Quebec apples.

Pommes Qualité Québec: a guarantee of home-grown freshness

Twenty years ago, apple producers and packagers joined forces to make sure all apples produced in Quebec and sold in grocery stores met strict quality standards. That’s when the Pommes Qualité Québec logo started popping up on bags, containers and stickers.

Now, when you see this logo, you know it’s a guarantee of quality and freshness. That’s because all apples from Quebec orchards have been rigorously inspected to ensure they meet the highest possible standards, even in winter!

This logo comes in handy when you shop because you can make sure you're buying home-grown apples. You may not be aware that one in every two apples in our grocery stores is not grown in Quebec, even though we’re an apple-growing powerhouse. Some apples travel as much as exotic fruits. There’s a crisp Quebec apple for every taste and every kitchen, year round!

Pommes Qualité Québec means…

  • Over 12 varieties
  • 4 varieties available year round
  • Over 1,800 lots of apples inspected annually: that’s almost 2,000 tons of apples
  • Approximately 300 million apples sold every year

Find the perfect apple

Choose firm, blemish-free apples with bright, uniform colour and smooth skin.

Don’t skim over the smaller apples. They often have more flavour, plus they’re the perfect size for the kids’ lunch boxes.

How to store them

Three tips to remember:

  1. Store your apples in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. If you plan on eating your apples within the following week, this is the best way to keep them crisp and flavourful. Apples spoil ten times faster at room temperature!
  2. Store your apples in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Did you know that apples can keep for several months? Start by removing any bruised or spoiled apples from the bunch (use the former to make applesauce!). Next, arrange them on a flat surface, away from light and humidity.
  3. Wash your apples right before eating them. Avoid washing them too far in advance, as they won’t keep as long if you do.

Do apples cause other fruit to ripen faster?

It’s not a myth; apples do indeed cause other fruits and vegetables to ripen faster because of the ethylene gas they emit. That’s why it’s always a good idea to keep them away from other fresh produce.

Biting into your favourite apple is great . . .
But discovering other varieties is even better!

Here are some Quebec apples that steal the show!

Early-harvest apples

JERSEY MAC

JERSEY MAC

A large apple with lots of crunch. It has a juicy, sweet, and aromatic white flesh, making it ideal to snack on or juice

Sunrise

Sunrise

A delicious cross between McIntosh and Golden Delicious, the Sunrise is one of the best early apples out there. It has a firm, sweet flesh that you’ll love biting into.

Paula Red

Paula Red

Moderately sweet and tart, and just as crunchy and juicy. Great as a snack or used for baking.

Classic apples

Lobo

Lobo

Hidden beneath the skin is a crunchy, semi-sweet, semi-tart flesh that’s perfect for baking pies, seeing as it keeps its shape during cooking.

Spartan

Spartan

Nice and plump, this is the crunchiest of the apple varieties. Enjoy it solo as a snack to fully appreciate its sweet and slightly tart flavour.

Gala

Gala

Characterized by golden, crisp flesh and smooth texture, this mildly sweet apple is delicious to bite into and is ideal for desserts, especially pies.

McIntosh

McIntosh

Sweet and juicy, this highly aromatic apple is delicious as a snack, or to make applesauce or juice.

Empire

Empire

Crunchy, juicy, and very sweet with just a touch of tartness, this apple is perfect cut up as a snack, as its firm flesh doesn’t brown as easily.

Cortland

Cortland

With its tender, sweet, and highly aromatic flesh, this apple is excellent in salads, seeing as it doesn’t turn brown when cut.

Worth discovering

Ginger Gold

Ginger Gold

Underneath its distinct yellow skin is a crunchy, juicy flesh with a spicy flavour. It’s perfect for salads, seeing as it hardly turns brown when cut.

Honeycrisp

Honeycrisp

Incredibly crisp, juicy, and sweet, this apple’s name comes from its distinct honey taste, making it the perfect apple to bite into or bake with.

Golden Delicious

Golden Delicious

As delicious as it is golden, this apple has crisp white flesh that is both sweet and slightly tart, with a delicate honey aroma. Snack on it or use it to bake with.

Red Delicious

Red Delicious

Beneath its deep red skin lies creamy white flesh that is juicy and sweet. You can snack on it, bake with it, or make juice with it.

Ambrosia

Ambrosia

Pink in colour, with a crunchy, juicy, and aromatic flesh that gives off just a hint of honey. Versatile, it can be used for cooking, or in salads, seeing as it hardly turns brown when cut.

SweeTango

SweeTango

You’ll fall for this crisp, juicy apple with notes of honey. A real treat to sink your teeth into!

Ariane

Ariane

Both sweet and tart, with firm, crunchy, and juicy flesh, this apple is perfect as a snack or in a dessert.

Gourmet tips: from quick-and-delish apple crisp
to a comforting bowl of soup

Gourmet tips

Apple crisp

For a quick and easy dessert, try making microwave crisp . . . in a mug! Simply combine diced apples and maple syrup in a mug, top with a mixture of oats, flour, brown sugar, and butter. Bake in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes and you’re done! You can also try making it with other fruit, like pears or blueberries, or try adding nuts or cinnamon to your crumble.

Discover other decadent apple desserts.

Divine caramel

Wondering what to do with all those fresh-picked apples? Here’s a recipe the whole family will love! Plus, it makes a great gift when stored in a cute jar! Easy to make, apple caramel is great drizzled over vanilla ice cream, yogurt, sponge cake, and French toast. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for fruit, or to elevate your pork chops!

Winning duo

Apples and cheese go hand in hand! Try making a grilled-cheese sandwich, blue cheese and nut salad, pancakes, Oka tart, apple and cheddar muffins, or simply put together a platter or apples and cheese.

Hearty soup

For a touch of sweetness and tartness, add apples to your recipes. Cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnip, and squash all go great with apples. As for spices, try adding a dash of curry, cumin, coriander, or ginger—they all do a nice job of highlighting the delicate apple flavours.