NCP Blog: Fall’s Favorite Fruit

October is here and do you know what that means? It’s apple season! October is National Apple Month and I can’t wait to go apple picking. There’s nothing like the taste of a fresh apple picked right off the tree! Yum! Some of my favorite snacks are apple slices with peanut butter (or other nut butters) or with slices of cheese. I also like to chop them up to add to a salad or to my oatmeal. Oh, and who doesn’t love treating themselves to an apple crisp or a slice of homemade apple pie once in a while (don’t forget the vanilla ice cream!).

 

In a recent survey about the fall season, we asked panel members what apple-flavored food or drink they like the most. Here are the top 5 responses:

 

Apple pie
Apple crisp
Apple cider
Apple cider donuts
Apple crumble

 

What’s your favorite apple-flavored food or drink? Let me know in the comment section below!

 

Apples Galore: Yours for the Picking

 

You can find a large assortment of apples in U.S. supermarkets, at farmer’s markets, farm stands, etc. The selection can be somewhat overwhelming at times, especially during the fall months. Many varieties can be enjoyed as a healthy snack, while others are best for cooking and baking.

 

Let’s take a look at some common varieties as shared by farmflavor.com:

 

Braeburn – Sweet and tart, remains firm after baking.
Granny Smith – Famous for holding their shape when cooked, they have the right amount of tartness to balance out sweet ingredients like sugar, honey and vanilla in baking recipes, making them the perfect choice for apple pie.
Red Delicious – Can be used for baking, but are best when freshly sliced and consumed raw.
Gala – Has what is called a striped or mottled skin, usually in a combination of orange and red. Can be sliced up to use in salads or to make applesauce.
Fuji – Super sweet and considered one of the sweetest and crispest varieties on the market today.
Honeycrisp – Crisp, sweet and juicy; can be used for baking or making a batch of fresh applesauce.
Pink Lady – Its firm skin and tart flavor make it great for cooking and baking.
Golden Delicious – Popular for eating raw, as well as for baking, thanks to its thin skin and mellow, sweet flavor.

 

 

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NCP Blog: Spotlight on Panel Members in Maine

 

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