Our elders always told us that an “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and they said it with good reason. Fresh apples contain vitamins,  fiber and nutrients that can help lower blood pressure, prevent cancer and improve bowel functions,  which are all key to good health.  President Obama, a picture of health,  keeps a huge basket of apples near his desk and says that they are a fundamental part of his fitness routine.

Although eating them might not keep every illness away, apples are one of the healthiest foods that nature  provides. They are loaded with nutrients which help nourish our bodies inside and out. They are also used in a variety of other products,  including potpourri, and there’s  nothing sweeter than the smell of cooked apples wafting through the house.

Apples are the perfect food, and  taste great raw or cooked, or as drinks like cider and  even martinis.

According to the web site Health Diaries, apples can help our bodies ward off diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. They are great for fighting lung, breast and colon cancer and  lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. The  site also reports that asthmatic children who drink apple juice daily have less wheezing episodes than those who don’t. Apples have pectin, which reduces bad cholesterol (LDL), a major contributor to coronary heart disease. The site offers 20 Facts About Apples.

Although we can buy apples in the supermarkets every season, fall is typically the time they are harvested on the East Coast. There are more than 7,500 different varieties of apples grown throughout the world, about 2,500 of which are grown right here in the United States. The biggest apple-producing states are Washington, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and Michigan.

Right near Philadelphia, Linvilla Orchards in Media, PA,  is the place to take your entire family if you’d like to pick your own food.  For years, when our children were younger, we took them there  to visit the Pumpkin Patch and buy special treats like fresh honey. Linvilla Orchards harvests at least 25 different types of apples, and sells  pies and the best apple cider you’ve ever tasted.

I love apples cooked or raw, and fried apples, a Grandmother Susie specialty,  are still considered a treat in my house. These days,  I’ve replaced her white sugar with raw sugar or honey, and they still taste just as wonderful. We also love to make apple dumplings and apple salad with feta cheese, walnuts and vinaigrette dressing.

Click here for my recipe for Apple Salad.

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