My husband is a high school teacher who hosts an annual fruit sale. Just like every year, there is a bit of surplus, which he sele
cts to purchase and bring home to me. This year my fruit sale surprise was a 10-pound bag EverCrisp apples. As I looked at that huge bag sitting on my counter, I thought, “Who can I pawn some of these apples on to? Do they freeze well? How much apple preserves can one person make?” I love apples, but not 10 pounds of apples at a time!
Then I ate my first EverCrip apple, and I knew this was now my favorite apple ever! Why did I not know about this apple? Where had it been all my life? The nerd in me went into research mode and here is what I discovered about this amazingly delicious apple!
About 20 years ago the Lynd family in Pataskala, Ohio, used the apple blossom from a Fuji tree and pollinated it with Honeycrisp tree flowers. From those apples, the seeds were harvested, germinated, and grown in a nursery, after which the saplings were distributed to other growers. Ten years later, in Roann, Indiana, one of the test trees produced what we now know as the EverCrisp apple!
The perfect combination of the Fuji and Honeycrisp apples resulted in a crisp apple which does well in baking, and a juicy and sweet apple that is perfect for snacking. This apple is great when I am craving something sugary or paired with some 
lightly salted almonds or peanuts for a heart-healthy snack.
Apples made the number two spot on The Mayo Clinic’s 10 Great Health Foods, calling apples, “The Original Health Food” because it is a great source of fiber and vitamin C. One medium apple typically has around 95 calories, 1 gram of protein, and 3 grams of healthy fiber which can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. According to researchers at Harvard, those who ate whole fresh apples or dried apples showed decreased triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. So, if apples have not been on your menu in a while, try one again, it could be a game-changer for you too!
Click here for tips on how to select, store, and serve the perfect apple for you and your family!
Basics for Freezing Apples:
Preparation: Apples Wash, peel, core, and slice.
Syrup pack: Use cold 40 percent syrup; add ½ teaspoon (1,500 mg) ascorbic acid per quart of syrup. Slice apples into syrup in a container, seal, and freeze.
Sugar pack: To prevent darkening, dissolve ½ teaspoon (1,500 mg) ascorbic acid in 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle over fruit or steam blanch for 1½ to 2 minutes. Mix ½ cup sugar to 4 cups fruit. Pack, seal, and freeze.
Dry or tray pack: Treat with ½ teaspoon (1,500 mg) ascorbic acid in 3 tablespoons of water to prevent browning.
Basics for Canning Apples:
Fruit: Apples (sliced)
Style of Pack: Hot
Jar Size: Pints or Quarts
Minutes of Processing time at Altitude of 0-1,000 ft – 20 minutes, 1,001 – 3,000 ft – 25 minutes
Preparation: Prepare syrup if desired. Pare, core, and slice apples. Use anti-darkening treatment. Drain. Boil apples 5 minutes in 1-pint syrup, juice or water per 5 pounds apples; stir occasionally. Fill jars with hot slices and hot liquid; leave one-half inch headspace.
