Cooking With Apples

Sweet and Crisp apples are never fail fruits. Apples are versatile, healthy fruits that add vitamins A and C and can add a sweet-tart flavor to a whole variety of dishes, from baked foods to salads. You can leave them unpeeled for extra fiber.

FACTS Apples contain a soluble fiber which is great for lowering cholesterol. Apples make a great snack that's low in fat. Apples contain vitamins A and C.

COOKING TIPS When choosing apples, always look for tight skin, vivid color, and a minimum of blemishes. Try to buy hard, well colored apples with a fresh smell to them. Avoid apples with soft spots. The skins should be smooth. Apples come 2-4 per pound, depending on size. Apples are available year-round, but are newly harvested from September to November.

KINDS OF APPLES

Red Delicious, Red Delicious apples are sweet and crisp. When heated they disintegrate quickly, making these typs of apples better suited for eating out of hand then by cooking or baking.

Mcintosh, with a lively flavor and slightly soft texture, these small red and green apples are equally good for eating and for making applesauce.

Golden Delicious, just like their cousin the Red Delicious, these sweet, amber apples have a slightly aromic taste and are best if eaten raw.

Winesap, hard and flavorful, Winesap apples can be used for baking or eaten by hand. They can be stored for a long time, up to around three weeks.

Granny Smith, these apples are bright green, crisp and sweetly tarted. They can be used for all purposes, they are great for cooking and eating out of hand.

Rome Beauty, Also called Rome Apples, these are large dark red apples that are mildly tart and havea slightly grainy texture which makes them great for baking. Rome apples are in season from November through May.

Cortland, with red and yellow streaks these apples are good for both eating raw and for baking. The tase is tart, with a somewhat soft texture, Cortland apples don't turn brown when sliced.

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