Physical Description
Apples are a crisp, white-fleshed fruit with a red, yellow or green skin. The apple is actually a member of the rose family, which may seem strange until we remember that roses make rose hips, which are fruits similar to the apple.
Colors: red, green, light red, yellow
Tasting Notes
Flavors: sweet
Mouthfeel: Crunchy when dry, Crisp, Clean
Food complements: Salads, Vegetables, Meats, Cinnamon, Nutmeg
Wine complements: White, Red
Beverage complements: Vodka, Fruit juice, Soda
Substitutes: Pears, Asian pears, Quinces
Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Peak: september, october
Choosing: Look for firm fruits with rich coloring. Yellow and green apples with a slight blush are best. Your preference for a sweeter or more tart fruit and whether you plan to enjoy your apples raw or cooked will guide your choice of variety. Just remember that Red and Golden Delicious are among the sweetest apples. Braeburn and Fuji apples are slightly tart, and Gravenstein, Pippin and Granny Smith apples are the most tart, but retain their texture best during cooking.
Buying: You can buy apples at any local market or supermarket. If you prefer fresh apples, you can get them at a local market. Get them early in the morning because that's the time when delivery trucks come.
Preparation and Use
Rinse apples under clear running water like you would any fruit. If organic, don't peel 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.
Cleaning: Clean apples under running water.
Conserving and Storing
When storing whole apples, store them in a cool, dry place. For use in future recipes, sliced apples freeze well in plastic bags or containers.
Social/Political
Apples are such commonly-consumed fruits that it's easy to overlook their amazing and unique health benefits. Apples combine certain nutrients in a way that sets them apart from all other fruits and makes them a food of choice for achieving several health goals. Here's what apples can do for you when it comes to your health: Unique Support for Heart Health Cancer Protection Protection Against Asthma and Lung Support http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=15&tname=foodspice - source of info
History: The apple tree, which originally came from Eastern Europe and southwestern Asia, has spread to most temperate regions of the world. Over the centuries, many hybrids and cultivars have been developed, giving us the 7,000 varieties in the market today. Apples have long been associated with the biblical story of Adam and Eve, although there is actually no mention that, in fact, the fruit in question was actually an apple. In Norse mythology, apples were given a more positive persona: a magic apple was said to keep people young forever. Apples' most recent appearance in history occurred in the 1800s in the U.S., when Johnny Appleseed, a real person named John Chapman, despite the mythological quality of his tale, walked barefoot across an area of 100,000 square miles, planting apple trees that provided food and a livelihood for generations of settlers.
