Apples --- Everything You've Always Wanted To Know And More

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Botanists assume that apple trees originated in the area between the Caspian and the Black Sea. They grow best in temperate countries with a cool climate and plenty of rain during the winter. Central Europe and North America are the main regions for the production of apples, but they‘re now also grown in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America - in the months when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Internationally, apples are the most widely cultivated tree fruit. Several hundred varieties for eating, cooking and cider making are grown. Charred remains of apples found in prehistoric dwellings prove that humankind has been eating apples for at least 750,000 years and they are deeply embedded in our folklore. Remember Snow White? Many people are content with just biting into a fresh apple provided it doesn‘t come from an orchard where pesticides are used. It‘s a crunchy, refreshing and healthy snack. Depending on the kind of apple you‘ve got the taste varies between honey sweet and spicy tart. They‘re high in fibre, vitamin C and potassium, low in sodium and almost fat free. The ancients who coined the phrase ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away‘ only observed what good eating apples did. Thanks to modern scientific methods we now know precisely what good it does. The soluble and the insoluble fibres can decrease the cholesterol level, reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries, heart disease and stroke. They help to keep blood sugar levels stable. They are cancer-protective since they relieve constipation and send potentially toxic substances out with the stools. They help to prevent menopausal bone loss, are associated with increased lung function and weight loss. The good news: the more apples you eat, they more they protect your health. I buy my apples at the local open air fruit and vegetable market which is held twice a week, I live in a part of Germany which is famous for its many fruit trees. Some years ago a village exhibited all kinds of apples growing in their area which were more than 60! I always buy from a farmer who doesn‘t use pesticides (the orchards are checked regularly), so the apples don‘t have to be peeled. Every now and then I also buy some torrefied apple rings, plain or covered with chocolate, yummy. We buy apple juice made of local apples in a supermarket. From my research I‘ve learnt that I should drink only the cloudy and not the clear variety as it contains more valuable stuff, I‘ll think of this the next time I go shopping. Cider is also made in our region, but I‘m not a great fan of this drink. Too acid for my liking. We have several apple trees in our garden. They‘re very old and very high. The house is more than 100 years old. The trees don‘t look much younger. Not even with a ladder can we reach the apples, so we have to wait until they fall down. I make apple puree from the windfall (or wormfall!). I cut the apples into chunks and boil them in only so much water that they don‘t stick to the bottom of the pot until they‘re soft which they are after some minutes. Then I press them through a special sieve. You can also use a mixer, of course. I add some sugar and cinnamon. It‘s meant to be eaten cold but has mostly disappeared before it has become so. --- Photo: pixabay