In praise of the Apple

 

Tammi Flynn is the creator of the www.3appleplan.com diet.  By having dieters include an apple at each meal, she increased the fiber intake painlessly and the resulting weight loss has been amazing.  While I have not used this particular diet, I thought I'd mention it in passing during my essay on apples.

The apple is a small round fruit with crunchy flesh.  This is one of the earliest fruits to have been cultivated, originating in Kazakhstan and carried by traders on the Silk Road.  As early as the second century B. C., people were producing apples of a consistent variety by taking cutting of a tree and grafting them onto suitable rootstock.  This must be done because the exact same type of apple won't grow from a planted seed.

Immigrants to America brought apple seeds, which gave rise to entirely new varieties further diversified by breeding with native American crabapples.  The spread of American apples was encouraged by the aptly monikered folk hero Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman in Massachusetts in 1774, who collected large amounts of seeds from cider mills and planted them on his travels.

About 2,500 known varieties of apple are grown in the U. S. and more than 7,500 are grown worldwide- all of which must be picked by hand.  Apple varieties are categorized as eating (or dessert), cooking (or baking), cider, and crab.

Most apples are available year-round.  Crab, Jonathan, and Macoun are generally available in the fall and winter.  Cortland, Crispin, Jonagold, McIntosh, Pink Lady, and Winesap are available September through April or May.  Later season apples (from October through June or July) are Empire, Idared, Rome Beauty, and York

Choose apples with smooth, clean, shiny skin and good color for the particular variety.

Over mature fruit will be unpleasantly mealy without firm crunch.  Avoid apples with dull skin, bruises, or punctures (which results in decay spots).

Store apples in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Apples may be left out for u to 48 hours before they turn mealy.  For long-term storage, apples must be absolutely sound with no blemishes or bruises, and must be kept in a dry, cool place without touching each other.

 Apples have no sodium, saturated fat, or cholesterol.  Eating an apple can also reduce the level of cholesterol already in your blood and lower your blood pressure according to studies at Yale University.  Apples elevate your blood glucose level safely and gently- and then keep it up for a longer period of time than most foods.  The practical effect of this is to leave you feeling fuller longer.  Apples constitute one of the riches sources of soluble fiber in the supermarket.

New Age Candy AppleIngredients:
1 granny smith apple peeled
1/4 teaspoon sugar free cherry flavored gelatin
2 tablespoons diet cherry cola
2 tablespoons thawed frozen reduced fat non dairy whipped topping

Directions:
Slice apple crosswise into 1/4 inch thick rings; remove seeds. Place stack of apple rings in small microwave bowl; sprinkle with gelatin. Pour cola over rings. Cover loosely with waxed paper. Microwave at high 2 minutes or until liquid is boiling. Allow to stand, covered, 5 minutes. Arrange rings on dessert plate.

Serve warm with whipped topping.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 102
Fat: 2g
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 23g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 1mg
Fiber: 4g
Exchanges 1-1/2 fruit