An apple a day keeps the doctor away

There’s an English proverb that says "Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An' you'll make the doctor beg his bread”.   Or, more popularly: An apple a day Keeps the doctor away."

Eating an apple a day increases absorbtion of vitaman C, boosts immunity, reduces cholesterol and stimulates the intestine.   The crunchiness and enzymes in apples reduce tooth decay and kill bacteria in your mouth.  All of these things will certainly help you feel better! 

I also read on the Interwebs that there was  small town that was being plagued by a serial killer who murdered people in the night.  He would spare the lives of those who left an apple on their doorstep to him as an offering.  If it’s on the Internet then it must be true.  Right?  Anyhoo . . . that sounds like a simple way to stay healthy, as well.

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Granny Smith Apples are my favorite apple in the whole wide world . . . they are crisp and not too sweet.   I love them sliced with bites of sharp cheddar cheese or smeared with a bit of peanut butter or dipped in gooey caramel.  They're a great for eating raw as well as an ideal cooking apple.  They're firm flesh doesn't break down as they cook, their sweet-tartness blends well other flavors and they do not brown as quickly as other varieties.

Granny Smith apples were named after Maria Smith who grew many different types of fruit.  She enjoyed creating her own varieties including seedling apples . . . one of which was the Granny Smith. 

“The earliest account of the origin of the Granny Smith appeared in the Farmer and Settler of 25 June 1924, in an article by Herbert Rumsey, a Dundas orchardist and local historian. He interviewed local fruit-grower Edwin Small who recalled that in 1868 he and his father had been invited by Maria to examine a seedling apple growing by a creek on her farm. She explained that the seedling had developed from the remains of some French crab apples grown in Tasmania. “

When Maria Smith died in 1870, here apples were not commercially available, but in 1891 her seedlings took first prize in the Castle Hill Agricultural and Horticultural Show. By 1892 many growers were exhibiting 'Granny Smith's'.  They are now one of the most popular apple varieties in the world.

See?  I have good taste!

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Apple Crisp

  

6 Medium Tart Cooking Apples, Peeled & Sliced 

3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Quick-Cooking or Old-Fashioned Oats

1/3 Cup Butter or Margarine, Melted

3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

3/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Heat oven to 350ºF.   Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square or pie pan with shortening.  Spread apples in pan.

In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until well mixed and crumbly.

Sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. 

Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.