An Apple a Day - Health Benefits of Apples with Easy to follow Recipes

Whoever said, "An Apple a day, keeps the doctor away" knew what he was talking about.

My son has had a bad cough since he was born, I think. The first year of nursery school he was home half the time and in school the other half of the time. I asked the doctor what to do, since antibiotics are never a good idea if they can be avoided. The answer came as a big surprise. Give him lots of fruits and vegetables, especially apples in the wintertime! I went home and immediately grated an apple and crumbled a graham cracker to give him as a snack. He loved it and still loves eating apples. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Admittedly, kids' immunity systems begin to kick in around age four, but his coughing has all but disappeared. Thank goodness for apples.

There are too many apples to count, but here are a few facts:

Ida Red - sweet and sour - my friend cores them, cuts them into rings and deep fries them

Granny Smith - completely sour - great for making apple pies or just plain old puckering up

Golden Delicious - sweet and juicy

Red Delicious or Stark - crunchy and moderately juicy with a thicker deep red skin

Pink Lady or Crispy Pink (my personal favorite) - absolutely crispy and wonderful - yum! yum!

This winter we managed to get a huge crop of apples from our neighbor's tree. What in the world can we do with them all? Plenty.

1. Apple Strudel. Wash, peel and grate the apples to make apple filling for delicious homemade apple strudel, which goes right into the freezer for future entertaining needs. Be sure to add a few handfuls of dried crushed breadcrumbs if the fill is too juicy. This will prevent the strudel from breaking when you roll it up, too. A little butter and sour cream adds a nice touch to the sweet treat.

2. Fruit Compote. Peeled and sliced then cubed, the apples are boiled in semi-sweetened water. I tend to put a tablespoon of sugar in the pot for each apple. A cinnamon stick can be added if desired. It creates a sweet juicy tea, known to prevent or treats colds and also helps cure constipation! The warm compote keeps the throat nice and warm, warding off cold bugs and warming the soul.

3. Apple Crisp. Less fattening than a double-crusted pie, Apple Crisp is a nice change for dessert!

4. Dried apple slices. Peeled, sliced and sugared, they can be dried in the oven at the lowest temperature. They are tasty and fun to eat. Both kids and adults seem to like them, and they keep well in the fridge. If you've ever seen dehydrated apples, they cost an arm and a leg at the store!

No one is perfect, but I have to say, my kids are great at eating fruit. Many parents have asked me how this can be, since theirs wont eat apples or any other fruit for that matter. Here is what I do. I put it in front of them in an appetizing way. First, I wash it and clean it cutting it in quarters and cleaning out the core and seeds. Then I cut it in thin and attractive slices and put in on a plate in the middle of the table! Before long, the apple slices begin to disappear. This trick works well for adults, too.

It is so much nicer to get your vitamins from a juicy apple than have to visit the doctor ! Great for eating, grating, or however else you like to use them, be sure to enjoy them this winter for health and energy the natural way. You deserve it!

Many fruit juices on the market include apple juice, because it is sweet and not too expensive as a support fruit juice. Well the same is true of marmalade. In making any flavor of marmalade, throwing in a little peeled and crushed apple will add substance and flavor to the mix. If you are making a batch of homemade marmalade, five or six apples will only help, not hurt.