All About Apples

Can you imagine?  I don't like apple pie.  It's almost un-American, but I can't help it.  I like fresh apples and applesauce and apple cider, but not the pie, nor apple strudel for that matter.  And my mother makes a scrumptious apple strudel (I hear).  Sometimes she makes a cherry, peach, or blueberry strudel, which I love.  Ditto for other fruit pies and cobblers.  There's just something about the texture and flavor of baked apples I don't like.  Go figure my taste buds.

Pie aside ... apples make healthy snacks.  They contain flavonoids, which help the body kill germs more efficiently.  Apples are excellent sources of antioxidants and fiber.  Studies suggest they prevent dementia, lower cholesterol and reduce your risks for lung, colon and prostate cancers.  Due to their bulk and high fiber content, apples can help people lose weight too.

Fun facts* include: People have been eating Apples since 6500 B.C.  They are a member of the rose family.  An average apple is about 80 calories and has 5 grams of fiber.  They grow in all 50 states, and there are 7,500 varieties grown throughout the world.  Apples have no fat, sodium or cholesterol.  After the orange, the apple is the most valuable fruit gown in the United States.  The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.  To learn more about apples click here.

There are many delectable varieties of apples to eat.  I usually buy 3-pound bags of small McIntosh apples.  The small ones are crisp, sweet and tangy.  An unbeatable value, averaging $1 or less per pound, they keep for a long time in the refrigerator.

Below is a chart to help you select the best apples for eating (snacks), cooking (applesauce) and baking (pies).  Apples suitable for snacking will add a delicious crunch if used in a salad:

Name	Taste	Best Use
Baldwin	Tart, sweet	Snacks, cider
Crispin/Mutsu	Sweet	Snacks, applesauce, pies
Empire	Sweet, tart	Snacks, applesauce, pies
Fuji	Sweet, complex	Snacks, applesauce
Gala	Sweet	Snacks, Applesauce
Golden Delicious	Sweet	Snacks, applesauce, pies
Granny Smith	Tart, sweet	Snacks, applesauce, pies
Honeycrisp	Sweet, tart	Snacks, applesauce, pies
McIntosh*	Sweet, tart	Snacks, applesauce
Red Delicious	Sweet	Snacks
Rome	Sweet, tart	Snacks, applesauce, pies
Russett	Tart, sweet	Snacks, cider

            

In a pinch combine baking apples with non-baking apples to get the right textures for pies.

Chopped apples also make an easy coffee cake that's moist and very tasty.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

A sprinkle of black pepper

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped, apples (peeled)

Drops of buttermilk (used to moisten and form a dough)

¼ cup real butter

½ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 small egg

¼ cup chopped nuts

¼ cup raisins
A teaspoon of powdered sugar, for decoration

Directions:

Throw all ingredients in a bowl and hand mix it well.  Add a few drops of buttermilk at a time until a dry dough forms.  Put the dough into a well-greased loaf pan, or a cast iron skillet and bake at 350 F in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  When done, let it cool for about 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.  Then let it rest on a dish, or baking rack until cool. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and serve.
*source of apple facts: University of Illinois


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