This planet, which we have the great good fortune to inhabit, (even though at present, we don’t seem to be taking very good care of it), is blessed with a plethora fruit.  Peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, melons, berries, star fruit, pomegranates, persimmons, pineapples, guava, papaya, bananas, mangos and more. 

Delicious and delightful as they all are, is there a one of them that can compare to the simple, old fashion joys of a good apple?   Can any fruit compare to the versatility of an apple?  Apple pie is a given, applesauce, of course.  Apple crisp, Apple Brown Betty, apple cobbler, apple dumplings, baked apples, apple butter and apple jelly are almost the law.  How about “Fried Apples ‘n’ Onions,” as described by Laura_Ingalls_Wilder in her “Little House,” books.

Apples have been a part of the American diet, history, culture and folk lore since the first European colonists arrived, bringing with them, seeds and grafts from the treasured trees of their homelands.  Records from the Massachusetts Bay Co. show that apples were being grown in New England as early as 1630.  Archeologists have discovered the charred remains of apples in a Stone Age village in what is now Kazakhstan.  The Greeks were growing several varieties of apples by the late 300’s BC.  The ancient Romans cultivated them and developed even more verities, which they introduced throughout their empire.

Pity the poor child who has never climbed a neighbors apple tree to steal the luscious forbidden fruit.  What would late summer autumn be without the kitchen filled with the enticing aroma of apples cooking in one form or another?  And please be willing to think outside the box.   Apples don’t have to stay in a pie or the jelly jar.  Apples are perfectly willing to appear on your table in any course.  Try an apple and butternut squash soup or an apple and beet salad.  How about apple and chicken salad or potato ad apple pancakes?  Sausage stuffed bakes apples make an excellent entree and you can even have apple ice tea.

Apples are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.  Soluble fiber such as the pectin in apples, actually helps to prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, thus reducing the incident of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The insoluble fiber in apples provides bulk in the intestinal tract, holding water to cleanse and move food quickly through the digestive system .

When eating apples raw, they are far better for you, and better tasting, if eaten with the skin on. Almost half of the vitamin C content is just underneath the skin. Eating the skin also increases insoluble fiber content. Most of an apple's fragrance cells are also concentrated in the skin and as they ripen, the skin cells develop more aroma and flavor.

There are hundreds of varieties of apples on the market today, although most of us  have only tasted a few of the more popular varieties like: Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Black Arkansas, Fuji, Newtown Pippins, Roams and Gravensteins. Apples can be sweet, tart, soft and smooth or crisp and crunchy.

In the words of Johnny_Appleseed , from the old Disney film by that name, “I thank the Lord for giving me the things I need: the sun and the rain and the apple seed.  The Lord is good to me.”

And so, to honor the apple, which is at the height of its season right now, I offer you more recipes for apples than you ever wanted to see:

The following nutritional information is based on one medium apple, (about 2 ½ inches in diameter,  fresh, raw and with the skin on:

Calories – 80
Carbohydrate – 21 g
Dietary Fiber – 4 g
Calcium – 10 mg
Sodium – 0

These values will vary depending on the size and type of apple.