After writing about apples throughout this semester, I have began to notice them a lot more. They are pretty much everywhere! For example, I was just looking around my room and I see apple scented body lotion, apple flavored jolly ranchers and even an apple that I brought back up to my room from the cafeteria the other day. They are used all of the time. Whether it be for cooking, candy, juices, flavorings, air freshners, candles, soap, body washes etc etc etc! They are anywhere and everywhere! Companies are even named after apples. Apples definately have to be the most common fruit in the United States.
To conclude this blog, I hope you have all learned something about apples that you haven't already known and that now you can have a new appreciation for apples and notice how they are somehow a part of our everyday life.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Candy Apples
Who doesn't love a nice candy apple in the Fall around Halloween time? The most common type of candy apple is with a hard coating of sugar syrup or caramel which is then cooled to make the outside hard. Other types of candy apples are taffy and chocolate apples.
To make these candy apples, wash the apples and remove the stems and stick some type of skewer or popcicle stick into the apple. Then, combine 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 2 cups of sugar in a sauce pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 250 degrees. Add cinnamon and continue to cook until it reaches 285 degrees. Remove from heat and stir until it becomes smoth and start dipping the apples to coat them with the mixture. Allow the apples to cool on your baking sheet at room temperature and enjoy!
To make these candy apples, wash the apples and remove the stems and stick some type of skewer or popcicle stick into the apple. Then, combine 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 2 cups of sugar in a sauce pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 250 degrees. Add cinnamon and continue to cook until it reaches 285 degrees. Remove from heat and stir until it becomes smoth and start dipping the apples to coat them with the mixture. Allow the apples to cool on your baking sheet at room temperature and enjoy!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Apple Jacks
Who didn't love Apple Jacks as a child. The crunchy sweet taste of apple and cinnamon are delicious.
I found some of the advertising phrases pretty interesting...
"A bowl a day keeps the bullies away." and "Apple Jacks will not be sold to bullies." (1960-1970)
"A is for apple, J is for Jacks. Cinnamon toasty Apple Jacks!" (1980-1991)
"We eat what we like." (1992-2004)
"Apple Jacks. Where the sweet taste of CinnaMon is the winner-mon!" (2005-2006)
"Apple Jacks. Cinnamo, with Apple, is the winnamon." (2007-today)
Granny Smith Apple
My favorite apple is the Granny Smith, so I figured I would give you some information on them. They originated in Australia in 1868, and were not introduced to the United States until 1972. They are a light green color and are crisp, juicy and tart. They are popular to cook with, but I just prefer eating them out of my hand.
Granny Smith apples are used in some salads as opposed to other types of apples because they do not brown as quickly and have a harder texture than other green apples.
Granny Smith apples are my favorite because they are sour and crispy. They are not soft like other types of apples and have a nice bite to them. If there are Granny Smith apples in the house, I will definately eat much healthier!
Granny Smith apples are used in some salads as opposed to other types of apples because they do not brown as quickly and have a harder texture than other green apples.
Granny Smith apples are my favorite because they are sour and crispy. They are not soft like other types of apples and have a nice bite to them. If there are Granny Smith apples in the house, I will definately eat much healthier!
Applebee's
Applebee's Internatioal, Inc. is a US company which developes, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. Today, there are 1,965 restaurants i 49 states, 17 internatioal countries, and 1 US terriroty.
Applebee's was founded by Bill and TJ Palmer and its headquarters are in Lenexa, Kansas.
Today, Applebee's is the worlds largest casual dining restaurant. I was suprised at this. I never though that Applebee's was more popular or larger than chain restaurants like The 99, Chilies or any of the major steak houses.
A Few Apple Tips...
When autum rolls around, who doesn't enjoy going to apple orchards and cooking with apples? A good tip to making apples easier to peel is to dip them in and out of boiling water. The skin will come of quicker and easier. When you are making and apple pie or apple sauce and you need tons of apples but just don't feel like sitting around all day and peeling apples all day, try the boiling water trick.
Another helpful tip is when baking apple pie, or any apple dessert for that matter is to sprinkle salt on the juices that have overflowed in apple pies or apple crisp in the oven. This causes the juices to burn crisply and it makes it easier to remove rather than having to scrape the sticky juices off of the oven or baking sheet.
Try these tips next time you bake with apples, I'm sure it will make you're baking experience that much easier!
Another helpful tip is when baking apple pie, or any apple dessert for that matter is to sprinkle salt on the juices that have overflowed in apple pies or apple crisp in the oven. This causes the juices to burn crisply and it makes it easier to remove rather than having to scrape the sticky juices off of the oven or baking sheet.
Try these tips next time you bake with apples, I'm sure it will make you're baking experience that much easier!
Apple Facts
I was browsing the internet and found some interesting apple facts, so I figured that I would share them with you.
Have you ever called someone, or heard someone say "The Apple of My Eye?" The word apple in Roman and Greek mythology symbolized love and beauty. So today we use the saying as somethig we prize or someone who we love.
Issac Newton is said to have thought up the laws of gravity while sitting under an apple tree and observig the falling apples.
Apple blossoms are the state flower of Michigan.
Washington, New York, Michigan, California, Pesylvania and Virginia produce over 83% of the nation's apple supply.
Fresh apples float because 25% of their volume is air.
The largest apple ever picked weighed 3lbs 2 oz.
Have you ever called someone, or heard someone say "The Apple of My Eye?" The word apple in Roman and Greek mythology symbolized love and beauty. So today we use the saying as somethig we prize or someone who we love.
Issac Newton is said to have thought up the laws of gravity while sitting under an apple tree and observig the falling apples.
Apple blossoms are the state flower of Michigan.
Washington, New York, Michigan, California, Pesylvania and Virginia produce over 83% of the nation's apple supply.
Fresh apples float because 25% of their volume is air.
The largest apple ever picked weighed 3lbs 2 oz.
"As American as Apple Pie"
"As American as Apple Pie" is profoundly known as the symbol of America. The word apple comes from the Old English word "aeppel." The are about 10,000 different kinds of apples grown in the world, and about 7,000 are grow right here in America. Who knew there were that many kinds of apples. I can probably think of no more than 10 different types. How about you?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Appletini Anyone?
Sooo I didn't really know if this is appropriate, but I was trying to think of an apple drink to blog about, and all I could think of was apple juice, apple cider, and appletinis. Appletini, obviously a type of martini, is a popular drink amongst popular sit down restaurants and bars across the USA. There are many slightly different versions of the appletini, but the one that I found the most popular in my research called for 2 oz of Applw Vodka or just regular Vodka and .5 oz. of Apple Schnapps or Apple juice. Then combine both ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake and strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an apple slice.
Apple Electronics
I went to the Apple store for the first time at South Shore Plaza in Braintree a few weeks ago. It was one of the coolest places I have ever been. There must have been between 50-100 people in the store just playing with the computers, laptops, iPods, iPhones and everything else they have to offer. Apple or MacIntosh is growing rapidly with all of their new super thin and light laptops, touch screen iPods and phones. I think people love the idea of all of these new inventions. It's new and more futuristic I feel. I felt like a child in a candy store with all of the gadgets in the store, I just wanted everything! Go take a visit to one of the nearest Apple stores because you will be in heaven!
Crab Apples
Along with our apple tree, we also have a crab apple tree in our yard. The crab apple is in the rose family, and native to North America and Asia. During the spring and summer, the crab apple tree makes our back yard look so nice due to its beautiful spring flower display, and decorative fruit.The crab apples are much smaller and more tart than the a normal apple but are used more in jellies, preserves, and cider. Even if you try to take a little bite of one of the crab apples, you cringe at the sourness of the apple and it is just too much. Even though the tree is beautiful, the tasted of the apple just makes it less appealing.
Apple Tree Life Spans
Do apple trees have a life span? I was home this past weekend and my dad was outside doing yard work and he was giving our apple tree and little "haircut" or just cutting back the branches. We've always had an apple tree as long as I can remember. For the past couple of years though, it has not been producing any apples. Every year the tree will grow the flowers that it produces before actually growing apples, but after the flowers fall off, there are no apples to be found. I just found this to be weird and wondered if there was an actual point when trees just stop producing fruit. This kind of upset me because the apples tasted like no other apple that you can find in your local supermarket. SOOO good! Kind of like how vegetables taste so much better when you grow them in your own garden.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Gross...Brown Apples
I brought an apple back to my room after eating lunch at Tilly last week, and within minutes after eating it, I happened to glance at my desk where i put the rest of the apple, and it had already turned brown. Why do apples even turn brown? Well, here's your answer...
Once you cut the fruit, you open up some of the cells. The enzyme then has access to oxygen in the air and it does its thing, turning the fruit brown. This is the same thing that causes brown spots in apples when you drop them. The easiest way to prevent browning is to put the sliced apples in water so that the enzyme does not have access to oxygen. You can also heat the apples to denature the enzyme.
Even though it seems like a little bit of a hassle, the next time you bring an apple to school/work for a snack, use what you have learned so that when you pull out your afternoon snack, you are not munching on a brown apple.
Once you cut the fruit, you open up some of the cells. The enzyme then has access to oxygen in the air and it does its thing, turning the fruit brown. This is the same thing that causes brown spots in apples when you drop them. The easiest way to prevent browning is to put the sliced apples in water so that the enzyme does not have access to oxygen. You can also heat the apples to denature the enzyme.
Even though it seems like a little bit of a hassle, the next time you bring an apple to school/work for a snack, use what you have learned so that when you pull out your afternoon snack, you are not munching on a brown apple.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Apples to Apples
Since I received a few comments about my previous "Apple Games" blog, I decided to do some research about the "Apples to Apples" game that everyone was talking about. After some online researching, I found that it really did not have anything to do with apples, but I will tell you what the game is about anyway...
Each player is dealt seven "red apple" cards; on each is printed a noun or noun phrase. The judge draws a "green apple" card on which is printed an adjective, and places it face-up on the table. From their seven red-apple cards, each player, except the judge, chooses a card they think is the best match for the green apple card, and places it face-down. The judge shuffles the red apple cards, reads them aloud, and decides which noun is the best match for the adjective. The player who submitted that red apple card wins the round, and takes the green apple card to signify the win. All players then draw red cards until they have seven again, and the judge may pass to another person to repeat the process.
I LOVE any type of word/drawing/team game like this, so it sounds like a good game to invest in. Try it out at your next family or friend gathering!
Each player is dealt seven "red apple" cards; on each is printed a noun or noun phrase. The judge draws a "green apple" card on which is printed an adjective, and places it face-up on the table. From their seven red-apple cards, each player, except the judge, chooses a card they think is the best match for the green apple card, and places it face-down. The judge shuffles the red apple cards, reads them aloud, and decides which noun is the best match for the adjective. The player who submitted that red apple card wins the round, and takes the green apple card to signify the win. All players then draw red cards until they have seven again, and the judge may pass to another person to repeat the process.
I LOVE any type of word/drawing/team game like this, so it sounds like a good game to invest in. Try it out at your next family or friend gathering!
Monday, March 10, 2008
More Apple Games
Romans had a huge celebration to honor Pomona, the goddess of fruit. They did this to thank her for the harvest. People played games, ran races and enjoyed a big feast...I noticed that many of you had a lot to say about apple bobbing, so I figured I would post about some more apple games that the Romans would play..and I will warn you now, some of them are just not normal...
Swinging Apple Game..Tie an apple to a piece of string hang it on a doorway or the ceiling. Hold your hands behind your back and try to take a bite at the swinging fruit.
Apple Eating Race..Players kneel down in front of a chair. An apple is placed on each chair. Each player has their hands behind their backs. On the word "Go!" each player races to see who can finish the apple first. If the apple falls, the player is out of the game.
A Seedy Game.. Give each player an apple cut in half. The object is to count the number of seeds in an apple, the number of seeds in the apple revealed something about the person's future.
2=an early marriage
3=an inheritance
4= great wealth
5=a trip across the ocean
6=fame
7=all the person's wishes would come true
Paring Up.. Pare a green apple in one long, winding piece. Swing the paring over your head three times singing:Paring, paring, long and green,Tell my fate for Halloween.Then drop the paring behind you. When it forms the shape of a letter, that letter is believed to be the first initial of the person you will marry.
..weird, no?
Swinging Apple Game..Tie an apple to a piece of string hang it on a doorway or the ceiling. Hold your hands behind your back and try to take a bite at the swinging fruit.
Apple Eating Race..Players kneel down in front of a chair. An apple is placed on each chair. Each player has their hands behind their backs. On the word "Go!" each player races to see who can finish the apple first. If the apple falls, the player is out of the game.
A Seedy Game.. Give each player an apple cut in half. The object is to count the number of seeds in an apple, the number of seeds in the apple revealed something about the person's future.
2=an early marriage
3=an inheritance
4= great wealth
5=a trip across the ocean
6=fame
7=all the person's wishes would come true
Paring Up.. Pare a green apple in one long, winding piece. Swing the paring over your head three times singing:Paring, paring, long and green,Tell my fate for Halloween.Then drop the paring behind you. When it forms the shape of a letter, that letter is believed to be the first initial of the person you will marry.
..weird, no?
Apple Dumplings!
My all time favorite dessert is Apple Dumplings. Many have probably never heard of them, but they are simply amazing. They are made up of a cored, peeled Macintosh apples. Once you have successfully cored and peeled the apple, you make a dough, basically the same dough as pie crust. Then, you wrap each individual apple, topped with cinnamon and a piece of butter to keep it moist, into a piece of the dough. Then the best part, the sauce is drizzled over the apples. This amazing sauce is made up of sugar, water, Cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter and then brought to a boil. Many people leave it as this, but in my family, we would always add red food coloring to make it more "apple like."
The best way to eat the apple dumplings are straight out of the oven with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. The apples are soft and the red sauce is warm delicious, and it makes the apples and crust extremely soft and soggy and amazing. The next day, eating them cold after they have been refrigerated is also good, but warming them up is always better.
I suggest that anyone who has not tried this recipe, to do so immediately. Some may think it is like apple pie because of the apple and the pie crust, but it is a totally different experience.
(This was the most accurate portrayal of what apple dumplings look like in my family, and it even has a reddish sauce!)
The best way to eat the apple dumplings are straight out of the oven with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. The apples are soft and the red sauce is warm delicious, and it makes the apples and crust extremely soft and soggy and amazing. The next day, eating them cold after they have been refrigerated is also good, but warming them up is always better.
I suggest that anyone who has not tried this recipe, to do so immediately. Some may think it is like apple pie because of the apple and the pie crust, but it is a totally different experience.
(This was the most accurate portrayal of what apple dumplings look like in my family, and it even has a reddish sauce!)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Apple Bobbing Anyone??
Have you ever bobbed for apples? If not, you will need a big tub of water, apples (obviously), and a group of people willing to get their faces/bodies wet. Here are some further instructions:First..
find a big enough tub that at least two people can get their heads in at the same time. The tub can either be waist high..or if they are kneeling..chest high
Second..
fill the tub, but leave enough space at the top of the tub so the water doesn't over flow, about 4-6 inches.
Third..
Put several apples in the tub of water
Fourth..
Have the first two or three players put their hands behind their backs..and say "GO" and have each of the contestants try to grab an apple in their mouths, and the first player to catch an apple in their mouth WINS!
An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
So everone knows the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." And its true! According to legend, Johnny Appleseed only got sick at the time of his death..he lives 80 years without being sick..imagine?? So..maybe eating an apple a day will do the same for us as it did to Johnny.
A medium sized apple only has about 80 calories. Apples are low in calories, and contain NO fat. Some even say that because they contain no fat, it helps reduce the risk of cancer..blood pressure, and heart disease because they are cholesterol free.
So for those of you who don't want to catch that nasty winter cold..instead of a bag of chips or cookies, I suggest you all pick up an apple today!
A medium sized apple only has about 80 calories. Apples are low in calories, and contain NO fat. Some even say that because they contain no fat, it helps reduce the risk of cancer..blood pressure, and heart disease because they are cholesterol free.
So for those of you who don't want to catch that nasty winter cold..instead of a bag of chips or cookies, I suggest you all pick up an apple today!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Apples are everywhere!
So..I went home for the weekend, and the first thing I noticed when I walked inside the door were apples. The first thing I saw was a "Granny Smith" Yankee Candle in the kitchen, along with "MacIntosh" Yankee Candle air freshener. I looked on the counter, and guess what..McIntosh apples on the counter. I never knew how much apples are really a part of your life. Whether it's a legit apple, or apple flavored/scented different th
ings..they are EVERYWHERE!
ings..they are EVERYWHERE!Friday, February 8, 2008
What's Your Favorite Apple?
I am in seminar called "You Are What You Eat," and we each picked a food to discuss throughout the whole semester. I picked apples, and just wanted to ask you, what is your favorite apple? My favorite apple is the Granny Smith. Some of the most popular apples that you can find at any super market now are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and McIntosh, just to name a few.
Apples are probably one of the most popular fruits in American today. Just think of all the ways you can use/eat an apple. Apple pie and tons of other apple desserts, apple sauce, apple juice, candied apple, apple flavored candy/gum, apples and peanut butter, apples and caramel..just to name a few. I will discuss apple uses in futher blogs!
Apples are probably one of the most popular fruits in American today. Just think of all the ways you can use/eat an apple. Apple pie and tons of other apple desserts, apple sauce, apple juice, candied apple, apple flavored candy/gum, apples and peanut butter, apples and caramel..just to name a few. I will discuss apple uses in futher blogs!
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