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In 2013, the Big Apple Crunch set a world record with
1,000,000 people participating. The Apple Crunch celebration
is now happening across the country, including Ohio. It can
be one day like October 24 but, ideally, people are
celebrating Apple Crunch throughout the whole month!
It takes place in schools, homes and worksite cafeterias and
his highlighted on social media with pictures and hashtags
#FoodDay2015 and #OhioAppleCrunch. If you are on Facebook or
Twitter, post your own pictures of your Apple Crunch Day.
Ohio Apple Crunch is as simple as eating your favorite
apples and promoting healthy eating with your friends and
family.
From a healthy eating standpoint, apples contain nutrients
such as vitamin C, fiber and vitamin A. In addition, apples
and other fruits like peaches, plums and apricots have the
antioxidant quercetin. Red apples contain the most quercetin,
with lesser amounts in other apples and fruits.
Quercetin works as an antioxidant as well as an anti‐inflammatory,
and has been associated with overall lung health. Many of
the nutrients and phytonutrients are found in the skin of
fruits, so go ahead and eat the peel, too.
The Ohio State University Extension Farm to Health Series
shares ways to enjoy fresh apples:
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Spread apples with peanut butter for extra protein.
•
Make a fruit quesadilla with a whole wheat tortilla, low fat cream
cheese, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and sliced apples, pears,
peaches, apricots, and/or plums.
•
Dip slices into low fat vanilla yogurt as a fruit dip.
•
Dice fruits and mix into a fruit salad. Sprinkle with granola for
extra fiber and crunch.
•
Slice thinly and add to a green salad.
•
If you have more fresh apples than you can eat at once, they store
well in the refrigerator and canning and freezing are also
good options. Applesauce freezes and cans well.
Apples are one of the few
fruits you can easily find fresh any time of the year.
However, fall means a large selection of local Ohio apples.
There are thousands of varieties of apples and over 50 kinds
are grown all over the state of Ohio. The different
varieties of apples can be sweet, tart, soft and smooth or
crisp and crunchy and all different colors from yellows to
greens to reds!
With so many different
kinds of apples how do you choose just one? The good news is
you can easily and affordably try a few different varieties
of apples to try new tastes and for different purposes.
There are many good all-purpose apples for eating fresh or
using in a recipe.
Other varieties are best
for using in certain ways like eating raw or making
applesauce or baking. Apples that quickly go soft when
cooked are usually best for applesauce; others keep their
firm shape and are better for baking whole. Tart apples are
good for cooking; sweeter apples, for eating fresh. Try some
new varieties. Do a taste test in your household to see
which ones are favorites.
Apples are a very
versatile fruit to add to the day. They can be eaten raw or
cooked, chopped and added fresh to salad and shredded and
added to baked goods. While apples are wonderful on their
own and are a favorite in fall desserts they can also match
well with vegetables.
Apples can be cooked and
combined with sweet potatoes, red cabbage and winter
squash. Apples are often matched with pork in recipes.
Finely chopped or shredded apples can be added to other
daily recipes such as tuna salad, pancakes or coleslaw. This
recipe for a side dish of spiced apples is from the What’s
Cooking, USDA Mixing Bowl.
Spiced Apples
Ingredients:
3 apples
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped
pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons butter
Instructions:
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Cut apples in
quarters and core them; slice into smaller wedges (about
12 per apple).
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Toss with
raisins, pecans, and cinnamon.
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Heat butter in
medium sauce pan. Add fruit mix.
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Sauté lightly
about 3-5 minutes. Apples should still be slightly
crisp.
What ways will you enjoy apples this month and into the late
fall and wintertime? What ways can you share your enjoyment
of apples with friends and family?
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