Apples

Apples are one of the most important crops we grow. An orchard is an investment that can last for over one hundred years when cared for properly. (Although modern orchards tend to stay around for 30-40 years, sometimes not even that long with different methods of planting.) Acres of apples tree produce thousands of bushels in a good year, equaling a substantial and steady income for farmers that grow this popular fruit. It's a lot of work, with a lot of reward!
     We grow seventeen varieties of apples at Kirby's. Each one is distinctive with it's own particular set of qualities. Some are best for eating, some are best for baking, and a few are great for both. When you come by the market in the fall, you'll find a special mix of our favorite applesauce apples for sale. We recommend trying them all to find your favorite.

Season: Late August - late December
 

Recipes:
Fresh Applesauce
Harvest Coleslaw
Late Summer Salad
Baked Apples, recipe from Debbie Fister
Raw Apple Cake

Storage

Storage: I was surprised to learn that apples store best between 30 and 32 degrees. They definitely will become damaged when frozen, but the sugar content keeps them from freezing at such low temperatures. Even though it isn't quite that cold, your crisper drawer is a great place to store apples.

Longterm Storage: Many finished apple recipes can be frozen to enjoy later. Baked goods and applesauce are excellent candidates for freezing. Apples are also excellent dried or made into fruit leather. You can jar them up as spiced apples, apple rings, or applesauce.

The National Center for Food Preservation is an excellent source for safe and detailed instructions on freezing, and canning apples, selecting varieties for different uses, and a selection of recipes for canning. Read more here.  

For detailed instructions from Purdue on long-term storage of fresh apple, click here.

Preparation

Apples are one of the most popular fruits in the world, and there are many ways to enjoy them. As an amazing snack eaten fresh, raw in salads and sandwiches, cooked into sauces, soups, and stuffings, baked whole or baked into pies, tarts, cakes, crisps, cobblers, dumplings, breads, muffins.... And then there's apple juice and apple sauce! Dried apples and candied apples! The list is very, very long indeed.

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About Apples… 

Nutritional Facts from whfoods.com

"Apple polyphenols are standout nutrients in this widely loved fruit. These polyphenols include flavonols (especially quercetin, but also kaempferol and myricetin), catechins (especially epicatechin), anthocyanins (if the apples are red-skinned), chlorogenic acid, phloridizin, and several dozen more health-supportive polyphenol nutrients. Apple is a good source of fiber, including the soluble fiber pectin, and it's also a good source of vitamin C. Apple nutrients are disproportionately present in the skin, which is a particularly valuable part of the fruit with respect to its nutrient content." - from whfoods.com

Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear.