Apple Time of Year

September usually means the start of "Apple Season" in the USA.  There's nothing better than biting into a fresh apple just picked off a tree.

As kids, my brothers (and friends) use to pick green apples off trees that were not in our yards.  Most of those people didn't mind us taking a few apples to eat but a few did.  Those were just a challenge for us to see if we could get in and out without being caught.

A neighbor lady (in fact I babysat her children) would have us get green apples for you during a few seasons.  She craved green apples during her pregnancies.  I have to say we loved doing it for her too.

Besides just eating them as an apple, they are great in baking, salads and many other dishes.  This week I'm sticking to a couple of dessert recipes but there are a few salad dishes already on this blog calling for apples.

This week's recipes are for "Easy Baked Apples" (Wednesday) and "Fresh Caramel-Apple Cake" (Thursday) and both are simple to make.

There is well over 25 different types of apples out there.  Most are great for salads and sauces.  Fewer are used for baking and pies.  The thing you need to do is fine what's available in your area and then which ones you really like to eat.  Then check to see what use they are best for in making a delicious dish to serve.

You'll find that apples vary in texture and taste too.  There are crisp, slightly crisp and tender textures to apples.  Some of the crisp ones include; Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden (and Red) Delicious, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Winesap.  Of these crisp apples; the Braeburn is slightly sweet, the Winesap is slightly tart and the Granny Smith is tart.  The rest of the list considered sweet.

Slightly crisp apples include Honey Gold (sweet), Fireside (slightly sweet), Rome (slightly tart) and no common ones that are tart.  For tender apples none are sweet, Jonamac is sweet tart, Jonathan is slightly tart and there are no tart apples either.

I hope today's blog and the recipes this week have got you started thinking about apples and how you can use them in your lifestyle.  Remember the old adage "An apple a day will keep the doctor away" I'm sure you have heard sometime in your life?  It is very helpful so please try it (especially in season).  "Happy Cooking" until next week.