Apples, Cider and Nutrition

As long as 4000 years ago people were growing apples in the Middle East. It was the Romans who brought apple trees to Britain. Since then specially cultivated varieties have been imported into the UK at different times. The National Fruit collection with over 30 acres of orchards and the largest collection of apple varieties in the world (more than 2100 dessert, culinary and cider apples) is in Brogdale, Kent. [Visits can be arranged: Brogdale Horticultural Trust, info@brogdale.org.uk ]

You can consume apples in a variety of ways. You can eat apples, cook with them or make juice or cider, as well as cider vinegar.

Apple Tasting Experiment

(best done during the autumn apple harvest season)

You will need:

• 4 or 5 different types of apple (choose perhaps two different varieties of eating apples, one cooking apple and at least one cider apple: try to find types of apples with different shapes and colours, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Bramley, Royal Gala, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious…)
• Kitchen scales for weighing apples
• A blind fold
• A cutting board
• A knife for cutting the apples
• Several small plates
• A recording sheet and pencils for each participant (see table below for example)

Method:

[Note: only cut one apple at a time as it will turn brown if left too long. See below for oxidation experiment.]

1. Wash and dry the apples
2. Before cutting the apples into small segments, look at the shape (see drawings below) Are the apples:

• Round
• Oblong
• Flat
• Conical

3. Weigh the apples and record your findings in the table
4. Look at the colour of each apple and record
5. Slice the apples into bites for tasting
6. Smell samples and record
7. Study the texture of the skin
8. Taste and record the flavours and textures
9. Try to repeat the tasting and smelling wearing a blind fold – ask a partner to give you the samples in a random order, did you guess correctly?
10. Which qualities does an apple need to be a good eater?

 Drawings taken from: The Book of Apples, Joan Morgan and Alison Richards, Ebury Press, London, 1993, p. 177.

Note: You could try to see if you can taste the difference between an organic apple and one grown with chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Make sure you compare like with like, ie. only compare apples from the same variety. If you can’t find a cider apple to include in your experiment, contact a cider producer, cider apple farmer or the cider museum. Most growers and producers are very helpful.

Further reading for looking at the flavours of apples: www.orangepippin.com

Fibres and other nutrients are found in the skin of the apple, so avoid peeling the fruit. It is best to wash apples before eating.

Oxidation Experiment

Why does an apple turn brown after it is cut?

You will need: 1 apples 2 plates 1 bowl Knife Cutting board Water Lemon juice Watch with a second hand

Method:

1. put water in bowl
2. cut apple into slices
3. put two or three slices into bowl of water
4. put one or two slices on plate
5. put lemon juice onto two or three slices and leave on plate.
6. time how long it takes for the colour to change

Apples contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase. When this enzyme comes into contact with oxygen, it causes the fruit to turn brown. This is a chemical reaction which can be stopped or prevented. To stop the enzyme reacting with the oxygen you can cover the apples with water or lemon juice. The lemon juice is an anti-oxidant since it prevents the enzyme from reacting with the oxygen and thereby stops the colour change.

“AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY”

Analysis of an Apple:

[From: M. Hills, Cider Vinegar, Sheldon Press, 1997]

Apples for Health

As you can see, apples are a good source of a variety of nutrients, especially vitamin C, which protects your tissues, strengthens your resistance to infection and helps to combat the negative effects of stress. Apples are one of the richest sources of the mineral potassium, which keeps arteries in good condition. The fibre content of an apple is also high, which is important for a healthy digestion. Some experts also say that apples reactivate beneficial gut bacteria, reduce total cholesterol and help remove toxins. Apples release sugars slowly and therefore are good for helping to keep blood sugar levels constant.

 Juices:

Juice made from concentrate:

To produce concentrate you remove the natural water of juice by letting it evaporate. This concentrate is then added to water to produce juice. This processed juice is cheaper than freshly squeezed juice, but some of the flavour is lost. It is also more cost effective to transport concentrate, as it takes up less space for shipping and storage.

Commercial fruit juice is usually pasteurised to destroy micro-organisms which could cause the juice to deteriorate and spoil (fermentation can turn the juice into cider)

Fresh juice:

Some people make their own fresh juice at home with a juicer. You can then experiment with different fruit and vegetable combinations, eg. apple and mango or apple and carrot. These drinks are healthiest as they contain no additives and are 100% pure juice.  If you purchase freshly squeezed juice you must drink it within two or three days and keep it refrigerated, otherwise the taste and texture will deteriorate. Nutrients, especially vitamin C, can be lost if fruit is not eaten fresh or stored properly.

Fruit drinks:

Many apple drinks do not contain 100% pure apple juice. If you check the label you will see that water flavourings, additives, sweeteners, sugar and preservatives are often added. Some fruit drinks are carbonated to make them fizzy.

Apple juice and fruit drinks are sold in bottles, cartons and cans.

Apples for Cooking:

There are many excellent cookery books which feature apple recipes and ways of cooking and preserving apples. As experienced cooks will know, some varieties of apples are better than others for cooking:

Bramley’s Seedling is the most famous English cooking apple. Howgate Wonder is another good cooking apple, but not as widely available.

There is a recipe for a Somerset Apple Cake in the Food Technology Apple Project. Link

Cider

Over 350 different varieties of cider apples have been cultivated. They are high in tannin and low in acidity. You cannot use a cider apple as an eating apple. The cider is produced by fermenting the juice of cider apples. (see Fermentation worksheet). Cider is an alcoholic drink, which usually contains between 3.5% and 7.5% alcohol.

It is not only illegal for youngsters to drink alcohol, it is also unhealthy.  A young person can’t metabolise the alcohol as well as an adult, due to a lower body weight. This is also one of the reasons women should drink less alcohol than men. The legal age for buying and consuming alcohol in the United Kingdom is 18. Young people of 16 and 17 are allowed to consume beer, cider, porter or perry at home or in a restaurant during a meal, but not in a public bar.  Nor are they allowed to buy it in a shop.

It is thought though that adults can drink alcohol in moderation without detrimental effect to their health. Alcohol can relax people, reduce stress and give pleasure in social situations. Moderate use of alcohol also has been shown to have health benefits, such as reduced risk of gal stones, osteoporosis and strokes. Mrs Fanny Mason, who lived to be over 101 put her age down to a daily glass of cider! (Hereford Times, 1970)

Diana Dors, a film star from the 1950s enjoys Godwin Cider at a social function

Nevertheless, too much alcohol can affect your mood (often causing depression), impair judgement and create loss of inhibitions. That is why it is against the law to drink alcohol and drive or operate machinery.  In some European countries, such as Italy, it is common for people to drink alcohol, such as wine, moderately at home with a meal or in social situations. In Britain, however, and in some Scandinavian countries, binge drinking has become a problem and alcoholism has destroyed many lives.

Cider and antioxidants:

The anti-oxidant properties of cider and red wine are considered to be beneficial. Antioxidants are said to protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer by neutralising the damaging effects of free radicals on the body’s cells. Research conducted by Dr. Caroline Walker at Brewing Research International, in partnership with the Institute of Food Research Group, showed that the antioxidants present in cider absorbed more readily into the bloodstream because they were free in solution, rather than locked into cell walls as in fruit and vegetables, making them easier to absorb through the gut. Pure juice ciders of course have a higher content of antioxidants than those manufactured with added water and preservatives

A good quality cider will contain a number of minerals and some vitamins, yet have no artificial additives and preservatives.

Alcoholic drinks, such as beer, wine or cider can also be used in cooking. Most of the alcohol is lost in the process of cooking, but the flavour is retained.

Cider Vinegar:

Cider vinegar is produced by changing the alcohol into vinegar (acetic acid).

An acetobacter (a micro-organism) and oxygen are needed to convert the cider into acetic acid (vinegar).

The change of the alcohol into vinegar (acetic acid) follows this chemical chain:

Ethyl alcohol           >      acetaldehyde        >            acetic acid

Some health professionals recommend the use of cider vinegar for a variety of medical complaints. Margaret Hills, the author of a book on Cider Vinegar, lists some of the mineral and other nutrients of unpasteurized cider vinegar:

Potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, organic sodium, copper, iron, sulphur, chlorine, fluorine and silicon as well as natural malic acid, which according to her is important in fighting body toxins. She treats conditions as diverse as sore throat and arthritis with cider vinegar, even though some doctors would not agree with her assessment of the health-giving properties of cider vinegar.

Cider vinegar is not only a delicious vinegar for salad dressings, it can also be used in cooking. (see apple project worksheet for recipe for potato soup with cider vinegar)

Nutritional Value of Cider Vinegar:

The nutritional values of different cider vinegars can fluctuate because of variations in the apples. This chart will give approximate averages per 100ml:

Further Reading:

The Book of Apples: Joan Morgan and Alison Richards, Ebury Press, London, 1993.

Plant Based Nutrition and Health: Stephen Walsh, The Vegan Society, 2003

Nutrition in Essence: Sarah Bearden, Hodder Arnold, 2006

Cider Vinegar: Margaret Hills, Sheldon Press

The Food Doctor: Healing Foods for Mind and Body: Vicky Edgson and Ian Marber, Collins & Brown, 1999.

http://www.ifr.ac.uk/Public/FoodInfoSheets/applefacts.html

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