We are told that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what exactly are the health benefits of apples? Well, for starters it is a step in the right direction apart from being delicious, easy to carry for snacking, low in calories, a natural mouth freshener and affordable. Apples are also a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber such as pectin actually help prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls thus reducing the incident of arteriosclerosis and heart disease. The insoluble fiber provides bulk in the intestinal tract to? hold water, cleanse and move food quickly through the digestive system.
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It is a good idea to eat apples with their pericarp outer layer because almost half of the vitamin C content is just underneath is layer. Eating the outer layer also increases insoluble fiber content. Most of an apple’s fragrance cells are also concentrated in the outer layer and as they ripen, the skin layer develop more aroma and flavour. There are hundreds of varieties of apples in the market today, though most people have only tasted one or two of the most popular such as red delicious or granny smith. Apples can be sweet, tart; soft and smooth, or crisp and crunchy, depending on your choice . There are different ways to eat an apple including baking with them. Apple pies are delicious as you will discover when you try the recipe below.
This pie is a fabulous combination of flavors and textures. The juice produced during baking is like wild sweet nectar.
Ingredients:
•?? ?2 crust pie crust recipe
•?? ?1 cup sugar
•?? ?2 Tbsp. tapioca
•?? ?1/2 tsp. cinnamon
•?? ?5 apples, peeled and sliced
•?? ?1 peach, peeled and sliced, or 1/2 cup canned peaches
•?? ?1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
•?? ?2 Tbsp. dry lemon Jell-O
•?? ?2 Tbsp. butter
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and in a large bowl, combine sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, apple and peach slices. Sprinkle corn flakes in the bottom of the pie crust and fill with apple-peach mixture. Sprinkle with the dry lemon Jell-O and dot with butter. Add top crust and flute. Cut decorative slits in top crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-50 minutes until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown. Let cool for at least one hour before serving.
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