October 10, 2014

Apples!

I love apple season!  I love tasting all of the different varieties of apples at the local farmer’s markets, bringing home bags of different flavors and textures, and making yummy stuff for my family and myself.  Apples are amazingly healthy fruits, full of pectin, a natural fiber.  Red apples also contain an antioxidant called Quercetin, a substance that can boost the immune system and reduce some of the respiratory issues associated with environmental allergies.  They are also relatively low in calories.  The fiber of apples, pectin, is a common ingredient in jams and jellies because it helps them “set.”  Pectin has also shown to be helpful in sticking to toxins that get into our bloodstream and into our liver.  Some studies have also shown that eating apples helps remove stains from our teeth.  Many reasons to eat apples, just like the saying about keeping the doctor away. 

a stainless steel food mill

A popular form of apples in our house is applesauce.  It is easy to make and easy to store because it can be frozen and saved for a dreary winter day when it can be thawed to remind all of us of a sunnier time.   To make applesauce, simply peel and core, put into a pot with a little water, and simmer until soft.  Then mash.  Voila!  Add cinnamon, other spices or a bit of sugar as needed, or eat just like it is!  If you have a food mill, the results are even better.  Then peeling and coring the apples first isn’t necessary.  Place quartered apples into that pot with a little water and cook until soft.  Then spoon the apples into the food mill and turn.  The mill will separate the yummy inside bits from the skin, seeds, stems and other bits that one doesn’t normally eat.  Preparing applesauce this way can give it a beautiful red color, and a more intense flavor.  In choosing which press to use, note that the larger the hole, the bumpier the texture. If the smaller holes are chosen, the applesauce is smoother.  It depends on your family’s preference.  We prefer the larger holes because it adds that extra bit of interest to the applesauce.

     

Raw apples in an 8 quart pot with a little water

Two different sizes of presses from the food mill
the larger one makes "bumpier" applesauce

soft apples in the pot, ready for the food mill

Devin using the food mill

A bowl of applesauce!!

The skin, seeds and other bits that we don't want

Texture can come in many different forms. Take for example, an apple. It can be crisp or soft, juicy or dry, mushy or hard, sweet or sour. Early last week, Mom and I made applesauce, and it had a combination of chunky and smooth texture. The main reason for this was because of the press that was used. The applesauce had chunks of apple mixed in with the rest of the smooth sauce, which allowed for two different mouth feels when eating it, and it was better than any other applesauce that I have had. Notice the texture opportunities in the foods that you are preparing.  Offer a variety at each meal if you can.  Just changing the texture can make a food seem different, and possibly more interesting.  Chop things in new shapes and sizes or try new techniques.  I will talk more about this in the coming weeks. 

I have also included a delicious fall cake recipe that includes applesauce.  Notice that it is possible to use either sugar or one of the new sugar-stevia mixes that are now on the market.  I have made it both ways successfully.  The sugar-stevia baking mixes cut the sugar in half, making it more diabetic-friendly.  Stevia is made from a plant, unlike other sugar substitutes, and is the safest substitute on the market. 

Applesauce raisin cake

Applesauce Raisin Cake

Ingredients:

I½ lb (2 sticks) of butter

1.5 cups sugar ( or the equivalent in a sugar-stevia baking mix)

2 cups chunk style applesauce

3 cups flour- 2 white and 1 whole wheat

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup raisins ( although my kids like it better with 1 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray and flour a tube pan. 

2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add applesauce and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

3. Sift flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda together.  Mix.  Then pour into wet mixture and blend.  Add raisins and blend again.

4.  Pour batter into tube pan and set it on the middle rack of oven.  Bake for 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes, until the toothpick comes out clean. 

5.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Turn out onto a plate and cool completely.