Just about everything! The nutritional news about apples is especially great. Apples contain 85% water and are high in pectin, a dietary fiber that leaves you feeling full and satisfied. They have even more; they have vitamins A, B-1, B-2, and C, and trace amounts of a variety of important minerals, all for just 80 calories, average.
There’s nothing like an autumn apple, except maybe a jar of your cinnamon-scented spiced apple rings, served with ham. Or your apple chutney on the holiday goose. Or an apple tart at the summer picnic made with the filling you put up when McIntosh were at their peak.
For canning, always select firm apples with even color, free from bruises and with a smooth finish. If you won’t be processing them right away, you’ll want to store them properly to maintain their freshness.
Keeping apples crisp means keeping them cold. Apples will soften ten times faster at room temperature than at chilled temperatures, so refrigerate them as soon as you get them home. Put apples in a plastic bag and keep them away from strong-odored foods like tuna or onions to prevent them from absorbing other flavors.
If you want to store cider for later months just freeze it. Make sure that you leave enough head space so that the cider has room to expand as it freezes.
The key to experiencing apples to the fullest is knowing which variety suits your favorite way of eating or using them- raw, baked, canned, frozen or even sliced for a stir-fry. Here are just a few suggestions for more information go to http://www.michiganapples.com/.
For Fresh & Salad Apples: Red & Golden Delicious, Gala, McIntosh, Ida Red, Honeycrisp, Empire, Fuji, Jonagold, Jonathan, Rome & Winesap
For Pies and Baked Apples: Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Ida Red, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Rome and WinesapTart
