Fruit Intelligence: Green Apple

By Michael Laiskonis, Culinary Director, Les vergers Boiron 

Sponsored by

Though apple is a ubiquitous staple in the fruit market year-round, few ingredients trigger the feeling of autumn quite like apples during the onset of apple season.

With dozens of varieties to tempt us, apples are not only adaptable to endless sweet and savory applications, but also perform as a versatile partner to a range of classic and inventive flavor pairings.

Standing out among its many red and golden yellow cousins is the Granny Smith – crisp, firm and tart, with its trademark green skin. This variety originated in Australia in the 1860s. Maria Ann Smith, who earned the nickname “Granny” Smith later in life, was a British immigrant to Australia who operated a family farm with her husband, Thomas. The legend purports that the Granny Smith apple is the result of a chance seedling that grew from a discarded apple core thrown out by Smith while cooking. The apple is thought to be a cross between a cultivated apple and a European wild apple. Smith was impressed by the apple’s flavor and versatility and decided to propagate the trees herself. This popular variety is now grown commercially in many countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

For its Green Apple purée, Les vergers Boiron sources fruit primarily from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the southeast of France, not far from its processing facility near Valence. Boiron’s apple producer partnerships are over a decade in the making, and all of the orchards comply with ecologically responsible standards laid out by the Integrated Fruit Production and Global Gap charters. Much of the fresh Granny Smith apples processed are comprised of ‘sorting deviations’ – small or misshapen fruits often rejected by the fresh market for their appearance, but an ideal choice for Boiron, as the skin-to-flesh ratio lends to the special color, texture and flavor profile of its purée.

Apple trees go through a ‘juvenile’ period before bearing fruit – typically four to five years – and will then reliably produce for 15 to 20 years. Many commercial apple orchards are trellised and undergo rigorous pruning and maintenance to focus the trees’ energy on quality over quantity of fruit. The Granny Smith apple is a late-maturing variety, harvested from October to November. In order to minimize damage, the fruit is hand-harvested. While many apple varieties can be held in cold storage for up to a year, the fruit destined for Boiron’s purée arrives for processing during the peak harvest season.

Because the Granny Smith apple is a fragile fruit, much care is taken during processing to preserve its aroma, flavor and color; the mouthfeel of the purée remains slightly coarse, reminiscent of the texture of fresh apple. The use of the whole fruit, particularly the skin, offers a unique herbaceous note and freshness expressed through the balance of sweetness, acidity and astringency.

Seasonal fruit pairings include chestnuts, cranberries, dates, figs, citrus and quince. While rich, nutty and spicy notes offer classic complements – think cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, praline, brown butter and caramel – the brightness of the Granny Smith can be highlighted by the herbal and floral aspects of shiso, tarragon, lychee, fennel or verjus.

Green Apple is a flexible player in a number of applications, whether lending its acidity to pre-desserts or frozen components (and even savory dishes) or providing depth and nostalgia to classic seasonal favorites. Below, you’ll find a multi-textured verrine composed of apple, pear and maple, as well as a twist on a traditional apple tart – a Granny Smith compote topped with a vanilla and smoked cinnamon mousse.

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For more recipe inspiration and technical information on Les vergers Boiron’s Green Apple purée, visit: https://www.les-vergers-boiron.com and follow along as we explore all our flavors, origins, and applications at @les_vergers_boiron_americas 

Green Apple & Pear Composition

By Gaël Etrillard, Pastry Chef, Les vergers Boiron Asia

Yield: 35 verrines

Roasted Apple in Maple Syrup

• 150 g Les vergers Boiron Green Apple purée
• 40 g Les vergers Boiron Lime purée
• 250 g maple syrup
• 50 g water
• 10 red apples

1. Combine the purées, maple syrup and water in a tall container.
2. Blend with a hand blender.
3. Cut the apples in half and remove the center core.
4. Place each apple half onto a square of aluminum foil, cut side up.
5. Pour a small amount of the maple syrup mixture into the center of each apple and cover it with foil.
6. Bake the foil-wrapped apples in the oven at 355°F (180°C) until they are thoroughly softened and browned.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
8. Once the apples have cooled, mash them gently to break them up.

Pear Mousse

• 65 g gelatin mass (5 g water: 1 g gelatin)
• 540 g Les vergers Boiron Pear purée, divided
• 10 g pear liqueur
• 110 g Italian meringue
• 300 g heavy cream, 36% fat, whipped to soft peaks

1. Melt the gelatin mass with 50 g of the pear purée.
2. Add the remaining pear purée and liqueur.
3. Temper the mixture to 68°F (20°C).
4. Pour 1/3 of the purée mixture onto the Italian meringue and stir just to combine.
5. Pour another 1/3 of the purée mixture onto the whipped cream and stir just to combine.
6. Combine the Italian meringue and cream mixture, folding gently.
7. Add the remaining purée and fold until you achieve a homogenous mixture.

Green Apple Jelly

• 150 g Les vergers Boiron Green Apple purée
• 300 g water
• 40 g Les vergers Boiron Lime purée
• 80 g apple liqueur
• 50 g sugar
• 80 g gelatin mass (5 g water: 1 g gelatin)

1. Combine the apple purée and water and strain.
2. Add the lime purée and liqueur.
3. Heat 1/3 of this mixture with the sugar and gelatin, stirring until dissolved.
4. Stir in the remaining apple mixture.

Maple Syrup Whipped Cream

• 200 g maple syrup
• 170 g heavy cream, 36% fat
• 1 g salt 
• 50 g egg yolks
• 20 g gelatin mass (5 g water: 1 g gelatin)
• 180 g mascarpone

1. Boil the maple syrup, reducing it to 160 g.
2. Pour the reduced syrup over the cream mixed with the salt.
3. Whip the egg yolks until fluffy and pour into the cream mixture.
4. Cook as you would crème anglaise.
5. When the crème anglaise has thickened, remove it from the heat and add the gelatin mass.
6. Blend with a hand blender, then pour the mixture over the mascarpone.
7. Stir well and refrigerate overnight.
8. Whip as for whipped cream and pipe into 3 cm diameter silicone sphere molds.
9. Freeze until solid.
10. Unmold the spheres and reserve in the freezer for assembly.

Glaze

• 80 g sugar
• 7.5 g kappa carrageenan
• 0.2 g gold leaf powder (optional)
• 500 g water
• 55 g glucose

1. Combine the sugar with the kappa carrageenan and gold powder.
2. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the water.
3. Heat the mixture and add the glucose once the sugar has melted.
4. Boil for one minute before removing from the heat.

Assembly

1. Place some roasted apple at the bottom of a glass.
2. Pipe the Pear Mousse over the apple and transfer to the refrigerator to set.
3. Once the mousse has set, pour the Green Apple Jelly over the mousse to cover it in a thin layer and allow it to set.
4. Coat a frozen Maple Syrup Whipped Cream sphere with the Glaze and place it in the middle of the glass on top of the jelly layer.

Green Apple Tart

By Michael Laiskonis, Culinary Director, Les vergers Boiron

Yield: 12 tarts

Pate Sucree

• 250 g unsalted butter, softened
• 125 g confectioner’s sugar
• 2 g salt 
• 75 g whole eggs
• 500 g cake flour

1. In a mixer bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until lightened.
2. Slowly add the eggs, scraping the bowl between each addition.
3. Add the cake flour, mixing just until combined.
4. Chill the dough, allowing it to rest for two hours.
5. Sheet the dough as desired and use it to line 12 3.14-inch (80mm) tart rings.
6. Arrange the lined tart rings on a sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes.
7. Bake the tart shells at 300°F (150°C) for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
8. Once the tart shells are cool, remove them from the rings.

Green Apple-Compote

• 300 g Les vergers Boiron Green Apple purée
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 50 g glucose powder
• 5 g pectin NH
• 4 g citric acid
• 200 g Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced

1. In a saucepan, gently heat the purée.
2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, glucose and pectin.
3. Whisk the sugar mixture into the purée and bring to a boil.
4. Stir in the citric acid and allow to cool.
5. Stir in the diced Granny Smith Apple.

Vanilla & Smoked Cinnamon Mousse

• 100 g whole milk
• 350 g heavy cream, 36% fat, divided
• 2 pieces cinnamon stick, smoked
• 1 piece vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 50 g egg yolks
• 3 sheets gelatin, hydrated          

1. Combine the milk and 150 g of the cream with the cinnamon, vanilla and granulated sugar in a small saucepan.
2. Bring just to a boil. 
3. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the egg yolks.
4. Return to the heat and cook to 185°F (85°C).
5. Add the hydrated gelatin, then strain, and allow the mixture to cool to 86°F (36°C).
6. Remove the cinnamon sticks.
7. Whip the remaining 200 g of cream.
8. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled base.
9. Deposit into silicone molds and freeze.
10. Once the mousse is solid, unmold it and return it to the freezer.

Assembly

• Granny Smith Apple, sliced
• Lemon juice, as needed

1. Gently toss the apple slices with a little lemon juice.
2. Fill each tart shell with the compote.
3. Top with an unmolded piece of the mousse.
4. Arrange the apple slices around the base of the mousse.

(This article appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)