January 2013 Class - Apples and Pears, and Lemons

Hands-on Demonstrations:  Fresh Fruit Options, Part 2



Apples and pears are two great snack options that you can enjoy at home or easily take with you.  They take no preparation if you just bite into them and eat to the core.  Lemons should not be eaten directly; because they are so acidic, they are very damaging to your tooth enamel.

Pears are one of the best alkaline fruits to eat when detoxing, and apples contain pectin which helps digestive disorders such as IBS and colitis.  It has also been found that apples help lower cholesterol and protect against some cancers, such as colon cancer.

The old adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", has a lot of truth to it.  But do not think you can take a supplement of apple pectin or drink apple juice and get the same benefits.  God made these fruits to be eaten raw straight from the tree, and altered forms destroy the beneficial synergy of nutrients that has been created by God. 

Apple juice, even organic, must be pasteurized before being sold in the United States.  Pasteurization is the heating of a food to a specified temperature for a specified time period, in the attempt to destroy pathogens. Pasteurization destroys many of the beneficial properties and nutritional value of foods.  The only purpose of pasteurization is to allow high volume processing and longer shelf-life. Its purpose is not to preserve the nutritional value of the food. All enzymes which help you assimilate the nutrients in raw foods are destroyed when heated over about 118 °F.

1.  Apples

I only buy organic apples.  The existence of pesticide residues on conventional apples has been widely publicized for years, and apples are number one on the "Dirty Dozen" list.  If you are still not sure if you want to spend extra for organic produce, keep in mind that the interaction of pesticides is not evaluated or studied.  When a pesticide or other chemical, that will be used on or in food, is tested for approval, only that chemical is evaluated, completely independent of the thousands of other chemicals that have already been approved.  A piece of produce tested for the "Dirty Dozen" list typically contains residues of many different pesticides, not just of a single pesticide. 

Organic apples are plentiful and reasonably priced.  There are also many, many, different varieties available.  I never buy red delicious apples because they do not have the depth of flavor of the other apples.  I think they are the most hybridized and you can taste it in the flavor, even in organic ones.  I love trying all the different types (except the red delicious) at the store, and I am usually not disappointed.  Look for the firm, beautifully colored apples.  Though food prices have been skyrocketing the past few years, I still can find and buy organic apples for $1.99 or less per pound.  Buying them in bags is often cheaper, but look closely at the apples to make sure they are not bruised and soft.  For the January class, I found beautiful apples at $1.29, $1.39, and $1.69 per pound.  You don't have to pay $2.49 and $2.99 per pound to get organic.

Apples, or apple slices, are a great addition to a lunch you pack in the morning.  As you probably know, if you slice up an apple, the slices start to oxidize and brown very quickly.  You probably also know that putting lemon juice on the slices will prevent the browning.  This past summer, I found a trick that works so much better than trying to squeeze lemon juice onto the apple slices.  It is so hard to get the juice on all surfaces and you end up with brown patches or the apple slices swimming in lemon juice.

I will describe how I now prepare apple slices (and pear slices) in case you prefer slices and are not eating them immediately.  I first cut the apple or pear in half and then I core it with my apple corer.  (When I try to core it before I cut it, I always miss and the removed core also gets stuck in my corer.) 

Next I cut a wedge of fresh, organic lemon (another citrus fruit; one that I only buy organic).  Now cut your apple or pear slices and immediately rub the white flesh parts with the lemon wedge.  You are then applying minimum lemon juice and your slices will look beautiful for hours.

2.  Pears

There are also many varieties of pears that are available.  As with oranges and lemons, I only buy organic pears (or eat them from my pear trees).  While not on the 'Dirty Dozen' list, pears also are not on the 'Clean 15' list.  Thus since organic pears are also plentiful, reasonably priced, and I a eating the skin of this fruit, I choose to buy organic.

Pears slices can be prepared in the exact same manner as apples.  However, pear slices do not brown as quickly as apple slices.  

Many fruits can be grown in Texas, and my family now enjoys pears, apples, peaches, plums and nectarines from our trees.  If you have a yard and maintain it organically, plant a fruit tree this spring!



"Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant of the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.'" Genesis 1:29