Tour Apple Orchard Festivities

 

Experience Apple Orchards

Apple orchards motivate people to experience the great outdoors enjoying the harvest of the season hand picking bushels of apples for preservation. There are more than 7500 cultivated apples worldwide and the most widely grown spices of small diginious trees. The apple orchard is known to produce the culinary apple used for consumption.

Taking a trip to the nearest apple orchard is a fun autumn activity of the season.  If you want to go apple picking in the state of Pennsylvania there are many farms within the state of PA that offer this outdoor activity.  Apple orchard farms may sell additional fresh produce including pumpkins, gourds and apple cider beverages, and other fall treats. Picking apples is a fun activity that can save people money harvesting produce by hand can be a satisfying outdoor experience enjoyed among people of all ages.

There are great fall festivals throughout PA during the autumn many occur at apple orchards providing tons of fun as a leisure activity. The Bedford Fall Foliage Festival is one of the largest fall festivals in PA and now it is in its 58 year. Every October tens of thousands of people venture to Bedford County to experience the beauty of the fall season in this part of the state.  The event is centered around downtown Bedford featuring great vendors, live music and a classic car show centered in historical downtown the Fall Foliage Festival is bringing the best of local arts and crafts to the community in the crisp mountains of Pennsylvania.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends maximizing protection against Cocid-19 and the Delta variant and probably spreading it to others, get vaccinated as soon as you can, and wearing masks when needed when you are in an area of high transmission of the virus. People are taking extra precautions during the pandemic to ensure the safety of those around us.

An estimated amount of commercially produced apples in the United States 5.13 million tons of apple the fresh equivalent was produced in the US from 2000 to 2020. Today apples remain a popular snack option for individuals of all ages eaten as an edible fruit with only 90 calories per serving. People of all ages enjoy harvesting at a local apple orchard as part of fall festivities.

The Applecrest Farm Orchard is a year

round apple orchard located in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire US.  It is considered the largest apple orchard in the state of New Hampshire, considered the oldest continuing apple orchard in the United States since it opened in 1913. Visiting Applecrest today to experience a bounty of grown on the farm delights including 40 varieties of apples, berries, peaches, sweet corn, pumpkins, and a vast array of summer vegetables harvested at the peak of perfection. Beneath the timbers of the 200 year old barn find jugs of all natural apple cider made from scratch including locally produced farm goods.

Apples have tremendous health benefits for the body. In the sweet edible fruit, it is low in calories per serving. Fresh apples can be made into delicious sugar free desserts including apple pie with almond crust, baked apple with cinnamon, baked apple crumble topped with vanilla yogurt for a deliciously satisfying treat.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture, apples are an excellent source of dietary fiber and vitamin C when consumed with the peel on to obtain health benefits. Many local apple orchards also serve the community by growing fresh produce sold to the public.

Apples are considered a low calorie snack eaten raw or cooked in recipes served in many dishes worldwide. One medium apple with the peel is approximately 90 calories perfectly suited for snacks on the go. Apples can be eaten sliced, diced, cooked or consumed whole.  They can be added to any dish or salad for additional garnish packed with nutritional benefits.  Apple trees are cultivated for worldwide production growing 83.1 million tons in 2017 specifically bred for various tastes and uses in cooking, eating raw, or for cider production. Harvesting at an apple orchard is a fun day trip for many enjoying the end of the growing season.

Apple Benefits

As the proverb goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away may be true as apples are a rich source of phytochemicals found in the skin, core, and pulp of the apple.  Phytochemicals, powerful antioxidants found in apples may help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. 

The peel of the apple contains most of the fiber which helps maintain LDL cholesterol for heart health and most of the vitamin C is beneath the peel.  Typically one medium apple is 154 grams for a 5.5-ounce apple, contains 5 grams of fiber, is fat-free, saturated fat-free, and trans fat free.  One apple with the peel on is cholesterol-free and contains 5% of the daily recommendations of vitamin C. 

According to the National Library of Medicine, studies suggest a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of developing chronic disease including some cancers, diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular disease due to phytochemicals including carotenoids, flavonoids, play an important role in fighting disease.

Apples are delicious nutritious fruits that can be made into a wide variety of dishes including sugar free apple butter, apple chutney the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken. The chutney includes a combination of fresh peeled apples, onions, ginger, apple cider vinegar, and sugar-free brown sugar to add a touch of sweetness to this spicy condiment. It is Fall.

Apple Butter

One large bushel of freshly picked apples can be made into a multitude of healthy recipes.  Making your own Apple Butter is a simple slow cooking recipe.  Fill a slow cooker with 8 medium apples peeled, cored and chopped with ½ cup Splenda sugar substitute, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, cover the pot with a lid then cook on high for 1 hour then reduce the heat to simmer for 12 hours.

Stirring occasionally throughout the cooking process until the mixture resembles a thick dark consistency. Pack the Apple Butter in storage safe freezer containers for preserving freshness. Apple Butter can be added to yogurt, or drizzled over savory dishes or used in creating an apple spice marinade for meats.

Hot apple cider is an especially nice beverage during the cool fall season. Simply heat one cup of sugar free apple cider in the microwave for 2 minutes. Place a cinnamon stick in the hot beverage for 2 minutes.  Remove the cinnamon stick before drinking. Time to harvest apples of the season. For some, it is a time of seasonal recreation enjoying the outdoor festivities touring the nearest farm strolling through a picturesque apple orchard near you. 

Baked Apple With Cinnamon

This sugar-free recipe is delicious. One apple contains approximately 90 calories, 19 grams of natural sugar, high in fiber and vitamin C.  When cooking with apples some recipes do not add additional sugar added to the sweetness of the fruit.  Satisfy your hunger with a low calorie baked cinnamon apple topped with sugar free vanilla yogurt for snack or dessert.  

Ingredients

4 medium apples peel on cored

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon almond oil

¼ cup chopped walnuts optional

Instructions 

1.) Prepare apples, wash, and core.

2.) Add ¼ teaspoon of pure almond oil inside each core of the apples 

3.) sprinkle cinnamon in each cored apple

4) Top each core with a sprinkle of walnuts or nut of choice

5.) Wrap each apple in parchment paper

6.) Wrap each apple in foil over the parchment paper.

7.) Place the apples standing up in a baking dish core side facing up. 

8.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake apples for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven until cooked through.  Serve baked apples topped with low-fat sugar free yogurt for a delicious treat low in calories packed with nutrition.    

Apples are the perfect snack food eaten raw or cooked in recipes beneficial for promoting good health.  Try this sugar free Baked Apple pie recipe topped with walnuts and low-fat vanilla yogurt.  Simply delicious! Touring an apple orchard for leisurely recreation is one way to enjoy the great outdoors this fall season.

Cheers!

Patricia Lynn

Images Courtesy of JillWellington at Pixbay