Hawkeye Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Hawkeye apples vary in size, depending on growing conditions, and are generally 6 to 8 centimeters in diameter with a round to slightly conical shape. The variety has broad, flat shoulders tapering to a narrow, pointed base with five distinct bumps at the blossom end of the fruit. The skin is semi-thick, chewy, and has a smooth, taut, and glossy nature. Some Hawkeye apples may also be coated in a bloom, giving them a muted, dusty, matte appearance. This bloom can be easily removed and is not harmful if ingested. The skin has a golden yellow-green base hue, covered in dark red to crimson blush, which can be solid or comprised of broken striping. Prominent lenticels are also scattered across the surface. Underneath the skin, the ivory to cream-colored flesh is fine-grained, aqueous, and breaking with a crisp consistency. The flesh also encases a central core filled with tiny, tear-drop-shaped, black-brown seeds. Hawkeye apples are edible raw and have a mild aroma. The apples are known for their balanced, subtly sweet, and acidic taste and have a refreshing nature.
Seasons/Availability
Hawkeye apples are available in the fall, typically harvested in September and October. The variety can be stored in professional settings for several months, extending the apple’s availability in markets into the winter, sometimes through January.
Current Facts
Hawkeye apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are an American variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The heirloom, open-pollinated apple arose as a chance seedling in a home orchard in Iowa in the late 19th century and became famous as the apple that was later commercially sold as Red Delicious. Since its discovery, Hawkeye apples have contributed to more than 300 natural mutations and seedlings in the apple industry, and the variety was once renowned for its flavor. Hawkeye apples are still cherished in the present day as a specialty cultivar, but their presence in commercial markets has faded in favor of more modern, improved varieties. Hawkeye apples have a rich history in the United States and are sought by apple growers and enthusiasts for use in a wide array of fresh or cooked culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Hawkeye apples have not been studied for their nutritional properties. Apples, in general, are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract and vitamins A, B, C, E, and K to maintain healthy organs, contribute to energy production, strengthen the immune system, guard the cells against free radicals, and aid in faster wound healing. Apples also provide varying amounts of minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium. These minerals help the body support bone and teeth health, build red blood cells, control daily nerve functions, and balance fluid levels.
Applications
Hawkeye apples have a balanced, sweet, and sour taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is favored out of hand as a snack and is sliced and served on cheese boards as a crisp accompaniment. Hawkeye apples are also cut and served with nut butter, shredded into slaws, or layered into sandwiches for added crunch. The variety can be used in any recipe calling for sweet and sour apples or specifically for Red Delicious. In addition to slicing the fruits, Hawkeye apples are blended into smoothies, juices, and cider. The variety is also simmered into sauces or made into jams, apple butter, jellies, and other preserves. Try incorporating Hawkeye apples with other varieties in pies for enhanced flavoring. Combining the variety with more sour apples or firmer fruits will add distinct textures, flavors, and aromas in muffins, cakes, crisps, tarts, or crumbles. The variety can also be cooked into a savory-sweet sauce with roasted main dishes. Hawkeye apples pair well with herbs like mint, basil, and parsley, spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, flavorings like brown sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup, and nuts like almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts. Whole, unwashed Hawkeye apples will keep for several weeks when stored in a cool, dry, and dark location such as a cellar or the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Hawkeye apples can be kept in professional storage for 1 to 3 months.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Hawkeye apples were named after their home state of Iowa’s nickname. The Hawkeye state nickname was first recorded in 1859, and there are several intertwined theories behind the name's creation. The most prevalent theory connects the name to newspaperman James G. Edwards and Judge David Rorer. Judge Rorer felt that the state should have their own nickname to avoid unwanted names from neighboring states. It is rumored that the pair was inspired by the 1826 book “The Last of the Mohicans,” by James Fenimore Cooper, a novel featuring a fictional character named Hawkeye. This character is a skilled warrior and woodsman. Newspaperman Edwards eventually renamed his paper from The Iowa Patriot to The Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot in 1839, shortening it to the Hawk-Eye in 1843 to promote the name. Judge Rorer also submitted several anonymously written pieces about Iowans being nicknamed Hawkeyes, gaining approval from state residents. Some legends of this nickname conclude that Judge Rorer and Newspaperman Edwards also selected the name Hawkeye in honor of Chief Blackhawk and Stephen Sumner Phelps. Chief Blackhawk was the former chief of the Sauk indigenous people group, and Stephen Sumner Phelps was a fur trader known for his close relationships with indigenous people groups, who acquired the nickname Hawkeye from his time spent with Sauk and Fox tribes. Hawkeye was declared a state nickname by state officials at a gathering in the Burlington House in 1838, and the nickname has become a defining element of state residents.
Geography/History
Hawkeye apples are native to the United States and were discovered growing as a chance seedling in the orchard of Jesse Hiatt in Peru, Iowa. Hiatt noticed the seedling growing out of alignment with his orderly rows of apple trees in the 1870s. The seedling was cut down as Hiatt wanted to keep his orchard tidy, but the seedling eventually grew back. Hiatt cut the seedling down again, and when it sprouted up a third time, the grower acquiesced to the seedling and allowed it to mature. The variety's parentage is unknown, but Hiatt hypothesized that Yellow Bellflower may be a parent, as the seedling was growing near an older Yellow Bellflower tree. Other possible parents include Black Gilliflower and a Sheepnose variety. The unnamed seedling matured for ten years before it began bearing fruit. It is said that when Hiatt sampled the fruits, he was certain it was the best apple he had ever tasted. In 1893, Hiatt sent four apples of his new variety, Hawkeye, to a fruit show sponsored by Stark Nurseries in Louisiana, Missouri. The fruit show was accepting apple submissions to find a new commercial replacement for the Ben Davis apple. The name card was lost in the first year Hiatt sent in his apples, making the fruit unidentifiable. Despite this lack of identity, when the president of Stark Nurseries, Clarence M. Stark, tried the apple, he reportedly exclaimed, “My, that’s delicious!” and decided the variety should be named Delicious. Stark waited for apple submissions in the following year of 1894, hoping the unlabeled apple would be resubmitted. Fortunately, Hiatt sent in his Hawkeye apples again, and Stark encountered the fruits on the show's last day. Stark was elated that the apple had finally been identified and visited Hiatt’s farm in Iowa to personally inspect the tree. Stark eventually bought the rights to the tree and began taking cuttings of the tree for commercial grafting. Hawkeye apples were renamed Delicious by Stark in commercial markets, and the variety became one of the most sought-after apples during the late 19th and early 20th centuries under the name Red Delicious. Though Hawkeye apples are often overshadowed by the more commercially popular Delicious name, the original apple cultivar is treasured by heirloom growers as a specialty variety. A small monument was also established by the Madison County Historical Society in 1922 at the site where the Hawkeye mother tree once stood in Iowa. Today, Hawkeye apples are still grown throughout the United States and are sold through fresh markets, typically directly through growers or wholesalers.
