Apple picking makes for an enjoyable autumn afternoon. Apples are easily picked, and they can be frozen, canned, cooked or eaten fresh. Apples are free of cholesterol, sodium and fat, so they are definitely a healthy fruit for you to select. And a medium sized apple only has about eighty calories, so eat up!
Apples were originally grown in the Middle East, in an area near the Black Sea, more than four thousand years ago. The ancient Romans and Greeks loved apples. The fruit arrived in England in the late 1000's and then settlers from England brought apples along when they came to America.
Here are some helpful tips about apple picking:
- Many apple orchards have some handy dwarf trees, that are located close to the ground - all the easier for the picking!
- Select apples that have no bruises, and that feel firm to the touch. The color may vary from dark red to bright red to orange, pink, yellow and green. Everything depends on the type of variety they are. Did you know that color doesn't tell if an apple is ripe? As long as they are firm and crisp, they're ready to be picked.
- When you head off for an apple picking afternoon, ask the farmer which apples are ripe. He will always know which areas of the orchard are ready to pick.
- The apples ripen from those the furthest from the tree trunk toward the ones in the center, so you want to select apples from the outside of the tree, unless those are gone. When you are apple picking, roll the apple off the branch and twist it just a bit. Don't pull it straight off, and don't shake the limb or the tree.
- Depending on what you plan to use your apples for, you may want to look at different types of apples available at any given time, in your area. Some are better for eating fresh, while others seem to hold their taste more readily for applesauce, baking or cooking.
- When you pick apples, don't throw them into the baskets - put them in gently so you don't bruise them.
- Don't wash your apples until right before you'll be using them, to avoid them spoiling.
- Apples should be kept cool after picking, to keep them ripe longer. If you have a cool basement, that is ideal, but you can use the fruit and vegetable drawer of your fridge, too. If you keep them cool, fresh apples will stay good for weeks. Yellow and Red Delicious apples are tasty, to be sure, but they don't keep as well for as long as Rome and some other varieties do.
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