Are New Zealand Jazz apples tasty? Characteristics and foods you can make with them
The shape of the Jazz apple varies somewhat. It is hard and crisp, yet juicy. The color is a mix of red and maroon over green, with a yellow and orange blush. Growers produce Jazz apples in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, France, Chile, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Grown in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, they are available year-round.
When tasted freshly sliced, tasters felt the Jazz variety combined the sweetness of Gala with the tartness and snap of Braeburn. They praised the fruit's refreshing and juicy texture and noted its resemblance to pears, both in its “almost floral” flavor and its “slightly gritty” texture. But it performed unevenly in cooked applications. After being simmered with a little sugar, salt and water, Jazz made an almost “crunchy” applesauce, even though it went through a food mill. However, in our Skillet Apple Crisp, Jazz proved to be a great substitute for Golden Delicious; it baked up firm but tender, and its tartness stood up well against the sweet buttery topping.
Our verdict? As an eating apple, Jazz is an excellent choice among sweet, crisp varieties such as Gala and Braeburn. For cooked applications, it depends on the dish: its firm, crisp texture softens but holds together in apple crisp, yet it does not break down in applesauce.
All those Jazz apples are suitable for making sweet tarts; crisp Jazz apples are perfect for snacking and baking applications such as apple crisp, where their firm flesh will not turn to mush.
