Maçã Porta da Loja

Description: Fruits of basic yellow color, but very red stained, with scattered irregularly scattered russet, with an open-eyed rosette, with centripto-divergent sepals, acidic flavor and yellowish pulp of firm consistency.

Region: North.

Particularity: Very rustic apple, stained with red and that appears on the market in early spring.

History: This variety is very old in the region. Aurélio Oliveira refers with special emphasis to the planting of orchards on the fence of the Monastery of Tibães, not mentioning the species or variety. During this period, the Benedictine monks defined rules to be respected by the caretakers, with regard to the care to be taken with fruit trees, es-tablishing fines for those who uprooted fruit trees. In 1926, at the II Congress of Pomology, this apple is mentioned as being harvested in Tibães (old apple trees) on the property of José Marques. It was confirmed that this gentleman was the former owner of the Monastery of Tibães.

Use: This apple is associated with a tradition that is practically out of use and that consists of being eaten on Christmas Eve. The apple is roasted in the oven (Merelim de S. Pedro) or on the coals (Santo Estêvão do Penso), then it is mixed in a mug of red vinho verde (new wine) and sugar, and then eaten. This is called tired horse soups, contrary to what happens in other regions of the country where this name is applied to bread and wine soups with sugar. Also in some villages it was customary to offer these apples to the priest at Easter time.

Know-how: It is an apple that is used mainly in the borders of the fields, being of late ripening. It keeps out of the cold for several months without losing its characteristics. In the past, it was customary to put straw under the apple trees so that the apples, when they fell, would not be hurt and so the collection was done with the fruit very ripe because it was expected to fall naturally. The apple was kept in the middle of corn (in wooden chests), on shelves in the shops of old houses (in which the place located on the ground floor where food and other household items were kept was called a shop). Today the harvest takes place from October.

Source: Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001