- By Henry Stark
- Around Town
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Apples are coming! Apples are coming! As August passes into history, September is arriving and you can hear apple lovers all over central New York rejoicing. It's apple season at last. In honor of this healthy and versatile fruit, I'd like to discuss a few of its more interesting features. Let's start with some good health news. An apple a day really is a good idea. The average apple has about 100 calories and contains about five grams of cholesterol lowering fiber, the equivalent of about 20% of the recommended daily minimum. Apples can also help your metabolism, assist in weight loss, and might even prevent bronchitis and some cancers. Studies have shown that postmenopausal women who ate dried apples daily reduced their LDL cholesterol by more than 23% within 6 months.
Apples are versatile. You can bake them, fry them, dry them or even eat them raw. However, be aware that when any fruit is dried the sugars are concentrated so you'll want to control your intake of dried apples. You might be interested that, in some cultures, dried apples are used in cooking in place of sugar. Moroccans, for example, use dried apples to sweeten Chicken Tagine.
Many apples are good to eat fresh: these include but are not limited to Braeburn, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, McIntosh, and Honeycrisp. Cortland, Golden Delicious, and McIntosh are appropriate for making sauces and baking. If you decide to use Granny Smiths for baking you might want to add some extra sugar.
Here's a quick guide to each of the apples mentioned in the previous paragraph. Braeburns offer a blend of sweetness and tartness and vary in color from greenish gold and red to bright red. Cortlands usually grow large and resist browning when cooking. Golden Delicious are often a freckled golden color and are sweet with a balanced flavor. They also resist browning when sliced. (Incidentally, if you slice apples and don't want them to brown, squeeze some lemon juice on the slices.) Red Delicious are usually bright red, taste sweet with a touch of acidity, and have a thin skin that can be a bit difficult to chew. Granny Smiths are pale green with a crisp texture and tart flavor. McIntosh are green and red, bruise easily, and are quite juicy with a slightly tart flavor. Honeycrisps contain a lot of juice and have a yellow skin mottled with red.
Question: Can you explain the difference between apple juice and apple cider?
If the cider isn't fermented (alcoholic), there is no difference. In practice, juice is usually filtered so it's generally clearer than cider which may contain small apple solids and appear darker. I have been to a number of cider making plants/mills where the only apples used are "drops" which have fallen to the ground and have more blemishes than those picked from trees. Almost all juices and ciders go through a pasteurization process which kills bacteria. If you're buying cider or juice for young children, the elderly, pregnant women, or people with compromised immune systems, you should make sure it's pasteurized. Pasteurization does not diminish the amount of nutrients.
Since apple season has arrived, I'd like you to encourage you to take advantage of it by going to an orchard and picking your own, purchasing them from a farm stand or farmer's market, or simply heading for your local market. Why not enjoy an apple today - it just might keep the doctor away.
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