Guess How Many Apple Varieties There Are: 75, 750, 7500 or 75,000?
by www.SixWise.com
Nowadays you can get apples year-round, but traditionally,
apples were eaten from the end of summer through late fall
-- and if you're looking for the most flavorful apples, that's
still the best time to get them.
A Quick Apple History
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Chicken-Apple Curry*
Serves 4-6
This is a unique and tasty curry recipe, perfect for
an autumn dinner, lunch, or brunch.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked cubed chicken
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/2 cup diced raisins
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 1/2 cups diced, unpeeled apples
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1 1/2 tbsp. chicken bouillon mix
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- Spring onions, diced, for garnish
Method:
- Heat butter in skillet, add onions and cook until
transparent.
- Add apples and raisins; sauté 5 minutes.
- Add celery and cook 2 more minutes.
- Combine seasoning and flour and blend in.
- Add chicken bouillon mix dissolved in water, lemon
juice, and stir until thickened.
- Simmer 2-3 minutes stirring all the time.
- Fold in chicken, mix well.
- Garnish with spring onions.
- Serve on a bed of rice with apple chutney and fresh
cucumber salad.
*Turkey, pork or lamb can be used instead
of chicken.
Source: VermontApples.org
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Apples have been around since ancient times. There is the
famous apple tree in the Garden of Eden, and there is evidence
that sun-dried apples were eaten during the Stone Age. Greek
and Roman mythology refers to apples as a symbol for love
and beauty (they were used during marriage ceremonies and
courtships, hence the saying "the apple of my eye"),
and in the 1800s, John Chapman became well-known for planting
apple tress in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and beyond, earning
him the name "Johnny Appleseed."
Today, apples are one of America's most popular fruits, with
each American eating about 65 apples a year.
An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
This famous saying is said to have stemmed from an old English
saying, "Ate an apfel avore gwain to bed, makes the doctor
beg his bread." (Eat an apple before going to bed makes
the doctor beg his bread.) And there is some truth to it.
Apples contain a host of nutrients and other healthy compounds
that make them an incredibly healthy treat, such as:
-
Powerful antioxidants, including quercetin, catechin,
phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, protect against breast
and colon cancers, prevent kidney stones, fight inflammation
and help to lower bad cholesterol while raising the good
kind.
-
Pectin, a soluble dietary fiber that is good for cholesterol
and blood sugar levels, as well as promoting the growth
of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
-
Lots of vitamin C and vitamin K.
Studies have also found that eating at least two apples a
week reduces the risk of asthma and type 2 diabetes, and promotes
lung health. Plus, eating them raw is a good workout for the
mouth, providing a massage for the gums and a gentle cleaning
for the teeth. And at only 80 calories for a medium-sized
apple, why not enjoy?
Fun Apple Facts
|
Old-Fashioned Apple Bread
Yield: 1 loaf pan (9 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 2
1/2")
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups peeled and diced apples, moistened with lemon
juice
- 1/3 cup chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup chopped raisins or dates
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Method:
- Cream together butter and sugar.
- Add beaten egg.
- Stir in fruit and nuts.
- Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately
with milk.
- Place in a loaf pan; let stand for 10 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees F until cooked, about 1 hour.
- Serve plain or buttered.
Source: VermontApples.org
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Want to impress your friends with your uncanny knowledge
of this autumn favorite? Here are 10 fun facts to use:
-
Apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air.
-
It takes nearly 40 apples to make 1 gallon of cider.
-
You could eat a different apple every day for more than
19 years, and never eat the same kind twice!
-
The largest apple, according to the Guiness Book of World
Records, weighed 3 pounds and 2 ounces.
-
The "Delicious" apple variety is the most widely
grown variety in the United States.
-
An apple tree has to grow for four or five years before
it will produce an apple.
-
Bobbing for apples started as a Celtic New Year's tradition
to determine whom you would marry.
-
In ancient times, apples were thrown at weddings (instead
of rice or birdseed, like today ... ouch!).
-
It's said that Isaac Newton thought of the "law
of gravity" while sitting under an apple tree and
having an apple fall on his head.
-
The apple belongs to the rose family.
How Many Apple Varieties are There: 75, 750, 7500 or 75,000?
Finally, if you've been wondering just how many apple varieties
there are, the answer is 7,500 worldwide. The United States
grows 2,500 of these, but just 100 of them are grown commercially.
Apples are grown in 36 U.S. states, but six states -- Washington,
New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia
-- produce the vast majority.
If you've had your fill of some of the more popular apple
varieties (the top five in the United States are Red Delicious,
Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith), try one of
these slightly unusual, but very tasty, apple varieties for
a change:
-
Cameo: This apple is striped red over a creamy
background, with a sweet-tart flavor and firm texture.
-
Jonagold: Has a tart flavor with a crisp and
juicy texture and a creamy yellow flesh.
-
Pink Lady: The skin is a pink blush over yellow,
and the flesh has a sweet but tart flavor with a firm
texture.
-
Sierra Beauty: The skin is a greenish-yellow
color with a crisp, slightly tart flesh.
-
Pippin: A small, green apple with a tart flavor
and sweet finish.
-
Braeburn: A firm, barrel-shaped apple with a
sweet-tart and spicy flavor.
Recommended Reading
The
11 Healthiest Autumn Fruits and Vegetables
Six
Disease-Fighting Super Antioxidants You are Likely Not Getting
Enough Of
Sources
University
of Illinois Extension: Apples and More
Whole
Foods Market: Apples to Apples Primer
The
World's Healthiest Foods
History
and Legends of Apples
Vermont
Apples