An Apple a Day...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2009

Apples are in season and ready to eat. Whether you buy locally grown apples or apples from the store, they can add variety, color and nutrition to your meals!

"There are several varieties available. You can choose apples that are tart for cooking or apples that are sweeter for eating," says Shirley Camp, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator. "Regardless of your preference, you can find an apple that is "just right" for your tastes."

• Apples are a good nutritional bargain, providing the following:
• About 20 percent of your fiber for the day
• Vitamins including C and beta carotene (if you eat the peel)
• Minerals including potassium
• Only about 80 calories and 21 grams of carbohydrate

Camp says the apples that ripen in late summer are not good "keeping" apples. They need to be eaten soon after ripening. Apples that ripen in the fall are better to keep for use into the winter.

Some apples crumble when cooked, and those are best used for applesauce. If the apple keeps its shape when cooked, it is good for baking whole.

When you buy apples, look for fruit with a smooth skin and few bruises. Bruising may indicate an apple that will not keep long. Choose those that are bright in color.

To store apples, refrigerate them in a plastic bag or in the crisper drawer. Check the stored apples often—one bad apple can spoil the whole bag!

When you cut a raw apple, it may turn dark. To prevent this, dip the pieces in a fruit juice—like lemon, orange, grapefruit or pineapple—before combining with other ingredients.

So which variety do you choose? Here are just a few of the varieties and what you can expect when you buy them.

Golden Delicious apples are firm and crisp and considered to be an "all-purpose" apple. When truly ripe, it has a yellow skin and is semi-firm, juicy and sweet.

Fuji has a sweet, crisp flesh and is a good apple to eat fresh. Fujis also work well in cooked products, and they store fairly well. The color ranges from deep red to a yellow-tinged red.

Gala apples are another favorite. They are good as a snack or in salads and baked products. Galas appear yellow-orange and seem to be striped.

Granny Smiths are those bright green apples. They tend to be tart and are good for cooking or baking.

Jonagold apples are just as the name implies—a combination of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples. Jonagold is an all-purpose apple with a sweet flavor and crisp flesh.

Arkansas Black apples are a very dark red. Both sweet and tart, this apple will store for longer periods of time.

Apple Salad for Two

1 large apple, diced
2 tablespoons salad dressing or mayonnaise
1/3 cup seedless grapes, halved
2 tablespoons walnut pieces
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 154 calories, 18 grams carbohydrate, 2.5 grams fiber, 10 grams fat, 127 milligrams sodium, 160 milligrams potassium.

To make a main dish salad, add 6 ounces grilled, diced chicken breast.

Nutritional analysis per serving with chicken: 254 calories, 19 grams protein, 2.5 grams fiber, 12 grams fat, 525 milligrams sodium, 160 milligrams potassium.

Source: Shirley Camp, MS RD, Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness, scamp@illinois.edu