Apple Fruit Nutritious Foods

 

Delicious Apple Fruit

Apple fruit is deliciously eaten as a snack option averaging 90 calories per serving rich in nutrition. Apples are one of America's favorite fruits. Apples are an edible fruit produced by an apple tree Malus Domestica cultivated worldwide, the most popular species in the genus malus. The apple tree originated in Central Asia where its wild ancestor Malus sieversii is still found in modern times today. Apple fruit has been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and was brought to North America by European Colonists between 1492 and 1800. Since 2000 the per capita consumption of fresh apples has fluctuated between 15 to 19 pounds per consumer each year leading to a slight reduction in 2021 as consumers ate 16 to 18 pounds of fresh apples per consumer. The fresh produce department is often counted as the main factor among consumers when selecting a grocery store.

Apple fruit range from health-promoting benefits to value-added snack-size options. Apple fruit can be made into delicious desserts, apple pie, cinnamon baked apple, apple sauce, fruit leather roll-up, apple salads or green apple fruit-flavored beverages. Apples have a vast array of antioxidant substances that help reduce cellular free radical damage and help protect the body from developing diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. The Nation Library Of Medicine suggests a diet rich in fruits, and vegetables may decrease the risks of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Cancer and phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids, and carotenoids, from fruits and vegetables, may play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk. A medium size apple is around 3 inches in diameter, weighing 182 grams, is 4.37 grams of fiber, 90 calories per serving. There are more than 7,500 culitivars of apple fruit cultivated for culinary use intended to be eaten raw, cooked, or made into apple cider.

Commercially popular apple fruit is ripe soft crisp aromatic fruit that is generally sweeter compared to older cultivars as taste has varied over time.  People enjoy the simplicity of apple fruit by consuming it in various ways including an Almond Crust Baked Cinnamon Apple Pie, juiced, apple butter, baked dishes, and savory apple fruit sauces sauteed with sweet Vidalia onion. Several techniques are used to prepare apple fruit products that can be dried, canned or frozen. The Elite Gourmet food dehydrator is perfect for hobbyists to dry flowers, potpourri dough crafts, and pet lovers who want to prepare healthy delicious ready to eat snacks and natural treats for furry companions. Food dehydrators can prepare healthy snacks for human consumption with 100% all natural dehydrated foods with no added sugars, additives, or preservatives. The large viewing window allows you to monitor the drying process dehydrating at an optimal temperature and horizontal airflow distributes heat evenly with the Elite Gourmet food dehydrator.

Place trays of apple slices into the dehydrator then set the temperature to 130 degrees F. Turn the dehydrator on and then dry the apples until they have a leathery, crispy appearance. Dehydration should take 12 hours to process. Dried apple fruit can be added to cereals, yogurt, salads or eaten raw as a delicious treat. 

Cheers!

Patricia Lynn

Images Courtesy of Daria-Yakovleva at Pixbay