Apples are in season from August through December, so now’s the time to get your hands on as many as you can!
Apples are considered nutrient-dense fruits, mainly because they have so much to offer in the nutrition department. Not only do they contain fiber and 10% of your daily allowance of Vitamin C, but they are also a great source of vitamins E (a fat-soluble antioxidant), B1 (needed for growth and development), and B6 (an essential nutrient for protein metabolism).
Believe it or not, apples from the grocery store might be a year old, or even older, thanks to technological advances and optimal storage conditions. Once they leave their perfectly controlled environment and head to your home, however, they start to degrade at a faster pace and become mealy after a few days.
Apples are best stored in home refrigerator temperatures, but there are a couple of things to note:
- They pick up tastes from other items in the fridge, so be sure not to place them close to something that has a strong smell.
- Apples produce ethylene gas, which ripens things faster. As a result, don’t store them close to other fruits or vegetables you don’t want to ripen.
- An ideal storage place is to place each apple inside its own open paper bag. This prevents one “bad apple” from spoiling the others.
So, how can you incorporate more apples into your diet? We’ve included some of our favorite apple recipes!
Apple Rounds with Peanut Butter, Shredded Coconut, and Raisins
Happy Cooking!
