APPLE (ÆBLE) // SEASONAL FOOD

🍎💪🤔 Did you know that an apple a day keeps a doctor away? Apples are high in fibre, vitamin C, and various antioxidants

🚜👩‍🌾 Fresh, locally produced apples are at their best during the coldest months of the year and there are more than 7,500 known cultivated varieties of apples. Another good reason to visit your local market!

👵❤️ Grandma Sita’s tips:

*There is not really an end to what can be done with apples: juice, raw in salads, baked in pies, cooked into compotes and spreads, as well an ingredient in savoury foods, such as stuffing and sauces.

*The cores and the peels from the apples are edible. The cores can be simmered in water and then cooled to make a fibre-rich juice drink and you can use the peels in salads or crisp them in the oven with a little cinnamon to make tasty chips

🌎 Eating local, seasonal produce has tremendous benefits for your nutrition, the environment, the local economy, and even your bank account.

📢 A study by WRAP, shows that UK households waste an average of 190,000 tonnes of apples each year, making the fruit rank third, just after potatoes (1) and bread (2), in the quantity of food wasted. 

📷 by Ellen Fokuhl

An apple is a fruit produced by an apple tree (Malus domestic). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were brought to North America by European colonists. Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse, Greek, and European Christian traditions. / Source: Wikipedia

• NUTRITION

Apples are high in fibre, vitamin C, and various antioxidants. They are also very filling, considering their low-calorie count. Studies show that eating apples can have multiple benefits for your health like helping to control blood sugar, and may protect against cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. / Source: Healthline

Nutrition information for major nutrients of 100g of apples

• CULTIVATION

Before you think about choosing an apple tree for your garden, it is important to consider whether apples are right for your area. The wide variety of apples means that there are suitable varieties for most temperate climate gardens. However, apple trees will need to be provided with suitable conditions in order to grow well. / Source: happydiyhome.com

• PLANT-BASED RECIPE

👉🏼 Plant-based apple cake by Grandma Sita

• EXPLORE SEASONAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN EUROPE

🍐🍅🇪🇺 The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) has created a tool map to help people explore seasonal fruit & vegetables in Europe. Check out what’s in season where you are. 👉https://www.eufic.org/en/explore-seasonal-fruit-and-vegetables-in-europe/

🌎 Eating local and seasonal fruit & vegetables helps to reduce food waste, saves resources, improves food quality and healthy habits, and boosts the local economy.