Autumn tips

JOHNNY APPLESEED, A HERO OF AMERICAN FOLKLORE! 

A hero of American folklore, Johnny Appleseed was said to be a barefoot wanderer with a tin pot hat, and a sack of apples, so he might leave the start of trees everywhere he went. But unlike his tall tale colleagues Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Appleseed’s story was based on a real man. His name was John Chapman, and his real life was far richer and more interesting than his legend.

You can still visit one of his trees in Nova, Ohio. This site is home to a 176-year-old tree, the last known to be planted by Johnny Appleseed himself. It grows tart green apples, which are now used for applesauce and baking in addition to cider making. While Chapman might be glad to see his seeds still bearing fruit, he’d likely be sad to hear this tree is a noted bud source for grafting new apple trees. You can read more about John Chapman at: MentalFloss.com.

Finding Local Storage Apples in our region:

Regional/local apples are harvested in the fall and are a good winter storage crop grown in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, and in Missouri, (for our western and southern Illinois schools!). There are two companies selling sliced regional apples (when available) to schools: Richland Hills Farms in Wisconsin and Peterson Farms in Michigan. Check with your produce distributor to order. If you cannot get these pre-cut products try contacting the companies directly to locate a distributor near you.

Featured Recipe: Apple Muffin Squares

Apple Nutrition Facts:

Here are some great Apple nutrition facts. These facts can be added to middle/high school meal lines and cafeteria signage to educate, as well as, draw attention to your Harvest of the Month! Sharing your Harvest of the Month activities with other school staff can lead to multiple exposures for your featured fruit or veggie. The more exposure kids have to a new fruit or veg, the more likely they are to accept it! Apples may not be an issue with kids, but applying this technique to other, less popular veggies like beets or dark leafy greens can be the difference between acceptance and total disinterest.

• Several studies have looked at the effect of apples on risk factors for heart disease. One of the studies, done in hamsters, showed that apples can reduce total cholesterol levels and lead to drastic reductions (48%) in plaque buildup inside the arteries. If these animal studies were to apply to humans, it would mean that apples could be highly useful in helping to prevent cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes).
• Apples contain many vitamins and minerals, but not in high amounts. However, apples are usually a good source of vitamin C.
  • Vitamin C: Also called ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a common antioxidant in fruits. It is an essential dietary nutrient that has many important functions in the body (12).
  • Potassium: The main mineral in apples. High intake of potassium may have beneficial effects on heart health.
  • The pectin in apples is a probiotic, providing food for friendly gut bacteria.
• The phytochemicals in apples provide as much antioxidant health-protected capacity as a mega-dose of vitamin C.
• Nutrition Summary: One medium apple, about the size of a baseball, delivers all this:
  • One-fifth of the dietary fiber you should be eating each day for cardiovascular and digestive health. That’s more than a bowl of bran cereal – and better tasting, too.
  • None of the bad stuff- no fat, no saturated fat, no trans fat, no sodium and no cholesterol. Apples are guilt-free!
  • Small amounts of vitamin C, the best-known antioxidant vitamin.
  • Small amounts of potassium, an electrolyte that’s key for heart health.
  • All that, and only 80-100 calories depending on the variety.

Tie your Harvest of the Month to The Great Apple Crunch in October. Feature local apples on your breakfast line, on the salad bar, as a fruit option on the tray, or incorporated into recipes at breakfast and lunch, and in cafeteria tastings to celebrate the Great Apple Crunch! Decorate with apple-pumpkin and apple stamped sneezeguard cards or posters sharing apple fun facts and where your local apples were grown. Register for Apple Crunch here.

 

Connect to a local orchard near you. Click here to search IL orchards by zip code.

 

Are you a member of Aggriga8 through Famlogix? Order for October here.

 

Need a lesson or activity to share with your garden kids on apples? Click here.

 

Need an apple recipe for food service? Try Apple Muffin Squares or Apple Cranberry Coleslaw. Or, a recipe to send home? Try Waldorf Cole Slaw a combination of seasonal apples and cabbage!

 

IN NOVEMBER, YOU CAN STILL ENJOY AUTUMN’S BOUNTY!

Add some autumn flair to your Harvest of the Month activities and share warm, seasonal dishes on your tray.

FEATURE LOCAL BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Welcome to late autumn! Temperatures are dropping and football and holiday celebrations are taking center stage as we move slowly into another Illinois winter.

Featured Recipes:

HAVE YOU TRIED FEATURING FRESH HERBS IN YOUR FEEDING OR GARDEN PROGRAM?

Fresh herbs are more that just a recipe add-in. 

 

Storage

How to Chop Herbs

To maximize the flavor of your herbs you’ll want to chop them as finely as possible. The finer you chop your herbs, the more oils released and the more fragrant the herb will become. Delicate herbs like parsley and cilantro should be chopped right before use as they will lose their aroma quickly.

When to Add Fresh Herbs

Which herb goes with which food?

Rosemary: Lamb, potatoes, marinades and oils, eggs, fish, poultry, pork, tomatoes, onions, ice cream, oranges, and apricots.                                     

The how-to primer for adding scratch recipes in increments and improving processed foods along the way.

Fun Fact: Illinois is the Pumpkin state!

From Illinois Extension Gardeners Corner:

Nutrition Facts

These nutrition facts can be added to middle/high school meal lines and cafeteria signage to educate, as well as, draw attention to your Harvest of the Month!

Sharing your Harvest of the Month activities with other school staff can lead to multiple exposures for your featured fruit or veggie. The more exposure kids have to a new fruit or veg, the more likely they are to accept it! Carrots may not be an issue with kids, but applying this technique to other, less popular veggies like pumpkin or dark leafy greens can be the difference between acceptance and total disinterest.

• Pumpkins are 90% water. And that makes them low calories. One cup of canned pumpkin only has 83 calories and only half a gram of fat.
• Pumpkins also have more fiber than kale, more potassium than bananas and are full of heart-healthy magnesium and iron.
• Pumpkin is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, and Copper.