Apple

An Apple a day keeps the Doctor away! This proverb, taught in school about The Forbidden fruit that, it's so easy to overlook their amazing and unique health benefits about such commonly-consumed fruits.

Late summer and early fall is a peak time for apples, farms mostly allow for picking during this time.

Look for firm fruits with rich coloring. Red and Golden Delicious are among the sweetest apples. Brae burn and Fuji apples are slightly tart, and Graven stein, Pippin and Granny Smith apples are the most tart, but retain their texture best during cooking.

Rinse apples under clear running water like you would any fruit to wash away any pesticides used for the tree. Don't peel the skin unless the recipe you have chosen requires peeled apples. To prevent browning when slicing apples for a recipe, simply put the slices in a bowl of cold water to which a spoonful of lemon juice has been added.

In addition to being eaten raw, apples are a wonderful addition to a variety of recipes from salads to baked goods.

Add diced apples to fruit or green salads.

Apples are used to make cider (unpasteurized) and juice.

Puréed apples are generally known as apple sauce, mostly used as baby food. Peel, slice and cook in a cup of water till the apple is very soft, mash with a spoon, add cinnamon powder and brown sugar as needed. Store is air tight container.

Apples are an important ingredient in many desserts such as apple pie, crumble and apple cake. They are often eaten baked. Apples are also made into apple jelly.

Summer treats of candy apple (coated in a hard shell of crystallized sugar syrup), and caramel apples coated with cooled caramel are attractions in parks and theme parks.

Sliced apples can be saved in the freeze in plastic bags or containers.

Nutritional Profile

Apples are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C.

Most of the apple's fiber is contained in its skin; choose organically grown apples whenever possible.