A is for Apple

‘An Apple a day keeps the doctor away”, a saying dating back to the 19th Century long before we were encouraged to get our 5 a day! High in Vitamin C and other antioxidants, the apple has proved the test of time as a delicious but healthy food.

The apple tree is possibly one of the earliest cultivated trees, and is a fruit associated with many legends, not to mention it’s place in Genesis. Today it is the widest cultivated fruit, with over 7500 varieties growing world wide, with 1200 varieties in the UK alone. Yet I have heard of only a small number of the names, such as Braeburn, and Cox Pippen. Whilst doing a little research for this post, I found this excellent article on The Great British Kitchen website - so now I know a few more varieties to look out for!

Savoury Ideas:

• Caramalised Apples Slices to accompany pork (there are lots of variations on this)
• Apple Chutney
• Beetroot Chutney (recipe to follow)
• Bramley Gravy
• Guinness and Apple Roast Beef

Sweet / Pudding / Dessert Ideas

• Toffee Apple Pudding - I made this for Bonfire Night one year - absolutely amazing.
• Traditional Apple Pie
• Chocolate and Toffee Apples

Apart from eating, there are a few more uses that I have come across:

• Store half an apple with cake to keep it fresh
• Place one in a paper bag with green tomatoes in order to ripen them
• Place a wedge in a sealed bag with hardened brown sugar to soften it back up again
• Excess salt in your soup or stew? Add a few wedges of apple for 10 minutes.