Apples: Orchard Memories and Apple Facts

Apples are one reason fall is the best time of the year. The leaves changing colors, cooler weather, baking with seasonal foods, football, and carving pumpkins are  a few more reasons I love the fall season. As a child, my dad would take my brothers and me to the apple orchard every fall. He always let us get a caramel apple. My mouth still waters with the memories of a juicy apple drizzled in warm caramel. Now, when I take my kids, I like to keep the tradition going. We sample all the different varieties, pick out a couple pecks, and each one of us leaves with a caramel treasure in hand!

I love the warm memories that flood my brain when I bite into an apple. It’s amazes me that certain foods can trigger such wonderful memories from long ago! Food is very powerful!

I wanted to know more about one of my favorite fruits. Here are some fun facts I discovered:

• Apples are low in potassium. One medium, raw and without skin has 142 mg of potassium.
• One medium apple has 77 calories.
• They have no fat, sodium or cholesterol.
• There are 2500 varieties of apples grown in the United States.
• They are grown in all 50 states.
• Apples are a member of the rose family.
• A peck of apples weighs 10.5 pounds.
• It takes the energy of 50 leaves to produce an apple.
• Most apples are still picked by hand.

Visit the DaVita.com Recipes section and search Desserts to find a ton of recipes with apples as the main ingredient.  Apples are so versatile, there are recipes for everything from quick no-bake desserts to recipes that produce warm apple desserts right out of the oven! I will always enjoy a raw, fresh from the local orchard apple the best, but below are my favorite kidney-friendly recipes using this favorite fruit.

• Apple Crisp
• Apple Crepe
• Apple Pie
• Apple Caramel Dessert
• Easy Apple Oatmeal Crisp
• Quick Microwaved Cinnamon Apples

What are some of your favorite apple recipes? Do you have any that you’d like to share?