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Eco apples are healthier for consumers and the environment.
Across the Northeast, despite some frosty nights, apples are still very much in season. If you want freshly-picked apples, late October varieties like , Mutsu, Crispin, Fortune, Fuji, and Rome are still abundant at ether pick-your-own orchards or farmers' markets. Though they're not necessarily being picked this late, both Red Delicious (the taste of these apples, locally grown and picked fresh, is no comparison to the often mealy, bland ones from the supermarket) and Golden Delicious are bound to be plentiful in farm stands. Store fresh apples in the fridge or cold cellar to keep them crisp. Most farm markets in the Northeast are open until Thanksgiving week, so stock up on your favorite produce, and baked goods.
Nutrition Powerhouses
Many of us think of apples as a tasty, crunchy, sweet or tart snack; but few people seem aware of the excellent nutritional benefits they provide. Sure, there's the fiber: pectin is one of the healthiest forms of fiber for our digestive systems, and one medium apple has up to four grams of fiber--so leave the skins on! Apples also contain calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. And of course, they're low in calories. This time of year, they're also very affordable. Look for local varieties in your farmers' markets, but also in your local supermarket; large supermarket chains throughout New England such as Stop and Shop, Whole Foods, Shaw's and Price Chopper are making admirable efforts to carry local produce these days, knowing consumers want these foods.
What about pesticide residue?
One thing that concerns those of us who want to eat better is the use of pesticides on fruit. It is possible to find organic apples, but they tend to be smaller and sometimes have spots. Commercial apples (from large orchards or those imported from China for juice making) tend to have larger amounts of pesticides used in their production. For years now, there have been apples labeled as "transitional" for sale in stores, and this label simply means they are grown in orchards that are making the transition from standard use of pesticides to a standard closer to organic.
Eco-Apples: A New Approach
A number of smaller orchards in the Northeast, like Clark Brothers Orchards in Ashfield, MA, Indian Ladder Farms in the Albany, NY area, Sunrise Orchards in Cornwall, VT, or Alyson's Apple Orchard in Walpole, NH are now growing Eco-Apples. These apples feature a method of growing that minimizes spraying and utilizes IPM, also known as Integrated Pest Management. Many popular apple varieties are now grown as Eco-Apples, such as Empire, Gala, Macoun, Honeycrisp, Fuji and Cortland. Eco-Apples take advantage of the ideal growing conditions of Northeast area orchards, like the rich soil and autumn temperatures.
In 2007, Cornell University, the University of Massachusetts, the IPM Institute of North America and a non-profit group called Red Tomato received a grant to help them develop a plan for marketing these healthier, ore ecologically-friendly apples to the public. Growers have shown a keen interest in participating in this program. It means more effort and utilizing new and possibly unfamiliar methods at first. But being able to offer a healthier apple to customers, and being able to reduce their reliance on pesticides and thus reduce toxins in the environment, are clearly goals that are making this initative pay off.
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