A is for Apples

Apples have always been a favorite fruit of mine. When my kids were growing up, I’d serve them sliced or as chunks threaded on small bamboo skewers. Sometimes I’d have a small bowl of melted caramel for them to dip their apple pieces in.

As a child, I remember coming in from playing one chilly fall day to find a bowl of highly polished apples on the kitchen table. I imagined the wicked witch offering Snow White a similarly polished apple. When I asked my mother how she got them so shiny, she just smiled.

Although available year-round, apples are most associated with autumn. When the temperatures start to drop and the leaves start to turn, apple-themed festivals and baked goods become more frequent.

1. Red Delicious
2. Gala
3. Golden Delicious
4. Granny Smith
5. Fuji

Remember that line from the Osmond song: "One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch, girl?"

Well, that isn't true. If you have one apple starting to decay, it's best to pull it out of the storage bin because yes, the others will start to go bad.

When you are choosing apples in the store, pick those that are firm with no soft spots. Avoid apples that are discolored for their variety.

After you bring your apples home, keep them in plastic bags in the refrigerator up to six weeks, checking them often for those going bad.

Apples can be eaten out of hand, used in baked goods and even made into salsa! To prevent them from turning brown from oxidation, dip them into a solution of one part citrus juice and three parts water.

• Apples are a member of the rose family
• There is evidence that humans may have enjoyed apples as far back as 6500 B.C.
• Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples are not in the same family, they just have similar names.
• The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea.
• Apples ripen much faster at room temperature than if they are refrigerated. Ideally, apples should be kept at 35-40 degrees with relative humidity at 80-90%.
• The average U.S. consumer eats an estimated 45 pounds of apples a year.
• The apple is the official state fruit of Rhode Island, New York, Washington, and West Virginia. The apple blossom (Pyrus coronaria) is the official state flower of Arkansas and Michigan.
• The Honey Crisp is a modern apple variety, developed in the 1960s.

1. Washington
2. New York
3. Michigan
4. Pennsylvania
5. California

Top 5 apple producers in the world

1. China (53% of world production)
2. United States (6.8%)
3. Poland (4.2%)
4. Turkey (4.0%)
5. Italy (3.6%)

(based on 2009/2010 crop data)

The US government recommends at least 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. A medium-sized apple is considered one serving.

One apple provides 80 calories but has no fat, cholesterol or sodium. An apple also has 5g of dietary fiber and provides 2% of the Vitamin A and 8% of the Vitamin C recommended by the government.

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When refrigerated rail cars became the norm in the late 1800s, perishable goods were able to be shipped across the country. Fruits and vegetables were shipped in small wooden crates and to facilitate identifying various growers' produce, colorful labels were pasted on them. These labels featured a wide variety of designs, ranging from pastoral to patriotic and featuring women, animals and symbolic imagery. Today, these vibrant and colorful paper labels are collectors' items.

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Ingredients
2 unpeeled apples, cored and diced
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp. diced green onion, including top
1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
Dash pepper

Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with cooked fish, pork or chicken.

Makes 2-1/2 cups

I grew up in Michigan and fall meant a trip to Yates Cider Mill in nearby Rochester. Yates is known for making a premium cider made up of a blend of six different varieties. Yates Grist Mill opened in 1863 beside the then Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal. Around 1876, the Yates family installed a cider press and the mill then became known as Yates Cider Mill after local farmers, orchard owners and landowners began bringing their apples to Yates for apple pressing.

Here is a video of how the Yates family makes their cider.

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