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It's Apple Season!
There are key varieties of apples that pinpoint where we stand in apple season. We consider the true beginning of apple season in Sacramento when the Gravensteins from Sebastopol appear, usually by August first. The season is at its peak in October with Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and loads of other varieties. You know the season is slowing down when you see Arkansas Black. Shortly after that, growers put their harvested apples into cold storage to ship to us as we need them well into springtime.
History
Apples have been cultivated throughout the world for over 3000 years! They were brought to the Americas with the earliest of the settlers. They were an important crop, and almost every farm had an orchard. Most of those apples were pressed and made into hard cider–the refreshment served to visitors when they came to call. Partly due to cider’s popularity, apple seeds of all varieties were spread far and wide.
Health Benefits
“An apple a day” really can provide a lot of what your body needs, especially during apple season. They are an astringent and tonic, highly digestible and alkaline food, full of fiber and water to help flush the system. Enjoy them raw or cooked at low temperatures to maintain the delicate pectin, vitamins, and minerals as much as possible, and remember that two-thirds of the fiber and many of the antioxidants are found in the peel! Eating a raw apple can help clean the teeth and exercise the gums and jaw. The malic and tartaric acids that apples contain help remove impurities in the liver and improve the action of the digestive tract, acting like an intestinal broom, cleansing as it moves through the system. Eating apples daily can improve skin diseases, arthritis and lung problems such as asthma and help to remove heavy metals from the body.
Selection & Varieties
Be sure to choose organically grown apples since they are one of the fruits that are most often contaminated with pesticides when grown conventionally (see an updated list of the Dirty Dozen–12 most contaminated conventionally grown crops here.)
Organic apples may have a few more blemishes than non-organic, but their taste and texture are far superior. Some of the best apples for eating out of hand are Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Red Delicious and Pink Lady. Our Co-op has the luxury of working with growers passionate about preserving unique heirloom varieties, apples that are passed down from generation to generation.
These organic heirloom apples may not win many beauty contests because they are grown for flavor and texture, not necessarily for durability. Some heirloom apple varieties are the Jonathan (1880), McIntosh (1811), Rhode Island Greening (1740), and York Imperial (1830). Even some of the well known and common varieties have a long history. The Golden Delicious dates from the 1890’s and the Granny Smith from the 1860’s. There are thousands of varieties of apples, so start trying them and decide which ones you like best!
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