APPLE CRISP FACTS

Apple crisp in Canada or apple crumble as it is known in the United Kingdom is a dessert consisting of baked apples topped with a crisp crust. Ingredients usually include cooked apples, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and often oats and brown sugar, ginger, and/or nutmeg. Many different kinds of fruit can substituted for apples, such as peaches, berries, pears, etc. Apple crisp is a British tradition and has become very popular in North America especially during the fall season or autumn when apples are plentiful. Apples Depending on the variety of apples, they are harvested fresh August through September and October. They can be found in the grocery store throughout the year. Apples can be stored at room temperature but will soften faster. Apples can last up to 6 weeks in your fridge. At room temperature, an apple will ripen 6-10 times faster than in the refrigerator.

In Colonial times, the apple was better known as a "winter banana" or "melt-in-the-mouth." There are 7,500 varieties of apples are grown worldwide. Recently ActiveChefs

TM provided an Apple Tasting activity at the beautiful Mountsberg

Park, as part of the Conservation Halton’ ‘Fall into Nature’ festival. The winner that day was the Honey crisp apple followed closely by the Royal Gala variety.

1 medium apple is one serving. Apples are high in fiber and Vitamin C. They also contain potassium, antioxidants, iron, calcium and Vitamin A. It is better not to peel your apple. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel.

Apples turn brown when the fruit is cut or bruised because cutting damage the cells in the fruit, allowing oxygen in the air to react with the enzyme and other chemicals. The oxidation reaction basically forms a sort of rust on the surface of the fruit. OATS Rolled oats, which are commonly referred to as ‘oats’ are crushed grains of oat which are rolled into flakes. Oats are an excellent source of iron, dietary fibre and thiamin. They also contain antioxidants which protect the body from diseases. They are helpful in reducing cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.

Oatmeal Month is celebrated each January, the month in which we buy more oatmeal than any other month of the year. FLAX SEED Flax seed also increases the Fibre content and has beneficial Omega 3 oils. Omega 3s are ‘good fats’ which are important for heart health, brain function and preventing lots of other diseases. Other sources of Omega 3s are Fish oil, Walnuts etc.

FLOUR Flour is one of those things we take for granted. It's been around in a crude milling form for about 8,000 years or more. Today, at the grocers there are several varieties available for purchase, some in pretty boxes and others in utilitarian sacks. The issue most bakers have is which one to buy and for what purpose. Whole wheat flour is coarse-textured flour containing the bran, germ and endosperm. The presence of bran makes the baked products made from whole wheat flour heavier and denser than those made from white flour.

Whole wheat flour is rich in B-vitamins, vitamin E and protein, and contains more minerals and dietary fiber than white flour. In most recipes, whole wheat flour can be mixed half and half with white flour.

All-purpose flour is the finely ground wheat separated from the bran and germ during the milling process. ‘Unbleached’ all-purpose flour is bleached by oxygen in the air and is off-white in color. ‘Bleached’ refers to flour that has been bleached chemically to whiten or improve the baking qualities. No change occurs in the nutritional value of the flour and no harmful chemical residues remain. It is a process which speeds up the natural lightening and maturing of flour. Nutritionally, bleached and unbleached flours are equivalent. But bleached flour is beneficial for cake and cookie baking. Unbleached is preferred for yeast breads because bleaching affects gluten strength.

Spelt is similar to wheat in appearance. However, spelt has a tougher husk than wheat, which may help protect the nutrients in spelt. Spelt flour has a somewhat nuttier and slightly sweeter flavor than whole wheat flour. Spelt contains more protein than wheat, and the protein in spelt is easier to digest. This means that some people who are sensitive to wheat may be able to tolerate spelt. Spelt has gluten, just like wheat, so spelt is not suitable for a gluten-free diet.

SUGAR Brown sugar doesn't come directly from a plant. Molasses is added to white sugar to make brown sugar. The white sugar can be either sugar beet or sugarcane sugar. Brown sugar possesses a molasses flavour; however, brown sugar may still be used as a substitute for white sugar.

Brown sugar overall is moister and stickier than white sugar and will dry out and harden very quickly if left exposed to air. It is unrefined, causing it to have a larger amount of minerals than white sugar. Brown sugar should be packed when measuring. It should be used to add moistness to recipes and a richer flavor. White sugar is used for everyday sweetening of coffee, tea and simple baked goods. White sugar used to come in blocks rather than in bags as it does today. It was once known as "white gold" because it was considered a luxury and only available to the wealthy CINNAMON Cinnamon is actually the bark from a cinnamon tree. Cinnamon has many health benefits. It has shown promise in the treatment of diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, and memory function. True cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon).

The ActiveChefsTM

recipe has more fiber, lower sugar, and lower fat than traditional Apple Crisp recipes. You may double the ingredients and use any size baking dish available…just adjust the baking time and cook until tender and topping is golden.

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