Apple emerges from colorful past to yield comfort desserts

By Cheramie Sonnier
Associated Press

The "all-American apple" had quite a history on its way to becoming our favorite fruit.

First off: What Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden probably wasn't an apple, many archaeologists suspect. Maybe a pomegranate or an apricot, but not an apple.

What we know today as the sweet red, green or golden fruit with a firm flesh and thin skin is believed to have originated in the wilds of Kazakhstan. It was crossed with related species and eventually produced apple types throughout Europe and Asia, writes Michael Pollan in "The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-eye View of the World."

However, the apple tree wasn't truly domesticated, Pollan says, until the Chinese invented grafting, the inserting of a shoot or bud of one plant into another plant, at least 3,000 years ago.

Its extreme genetic variability helped the tree prosper throughout the world, but until grafting, people were unable to cultivate the best specimens.

The Romans took some apple varieties with them to England, and the Pilgrims and Virginia settlers introduced apples to the New World, historians say.

According to American folklore, John Chapman, or "Johnny Appleseed," a gentle, eccentric man who went barefoot and wore a saucepan for a hat, helped propagate the fruit by planting apple seeds across America's new territories in the period of about 1797-1845.

However, Pollan contends that Johnny Appleseed's true story has been altered, probably intentionally. Chapman preferred to stay ahead of settlers moving west, planting nurseries from seed and waiting. When the settlers arrived, he had trees ready to sell them. Eventually, he operated nurseries from western Pennsylvania to Indiana.

Pollan notes that anyone wanting an edible apple plants grafted trees. Chapman's grown-from-seed trees would have been good for little but hard cider, and that was how most apples grown in America were used until Prohibition, he says.

And, the reason Chapman was welcomed everywhere he went was that "Johnny Appleseed was bringing the gift of alcohol to the frontier," Pollan says.

It wasn't until the early 20th century that the apple was identified with health and wholesomeness, the result of Prohibition and a public relations campaign by the apple industry, Pollan writes.

Today, China and the United States are the leading apple producers, accounting for nearly half of the world's output, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington state, New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia account for most of the apples grown in the United States.

There are at least 7,000 apple varieties in the United States alone, according to the Dictionary of American Food and Drink by John F. Mariani. However, he adds, most apples sold at market come from no more than 50 varieties.

All-purpose varieties, for both eating raw or cooking, include Braeburn, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Pink Lady and Winesap.

If you're feeling nostalgic, try these favorite apple desserts.

This slightly slimmer apple pie is from "A Trim & Terrific Louisiana Kitchen" by Holly Clegg.

Apple Crumble Pie

For the crust:

• 12 graham-cracker squares, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons light margarine, melted
• For the filling:
• 5 cups tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons light margarine

For the crust, combine all ingredients, mixing until crumbs are moistened. Press crumbs onto bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Fill crust with filling (recipe follows). Sprinkle topping (recipe follows) over filling.

For the filling, combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Spoon into crust.

For the topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Blend in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Place over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until apples are done and pie is bubbly.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional information serving: 302 calories, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 7.7 grams fat.

A betty is an old-fashioned baked fruit dessert made with soft bread cubes. This one is from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook.

Apple Betty

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 cups peeled, cored and sliced cooking apples (5 medium)
• 5 cups white bread cubes (about 7 slices)
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• Whipped cream (optional)

For filling, in a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add apples, toss to coat. Add 2 cups of the bread cubes; toss gently until combined. Transfer filling to an ungreased, 2-quart square baking dish.

For topping, place remaining bread cubes in a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle with melted butter or margarine; toss to coat. Sprinkle topping over fruit filling. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden. If desired, serve warm with whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 247 calories, 7 grams total fat (4 grams saturated).

Here's a easy, sweet and crunchy idea from "Slow Cookin' in the Fast Lane" by Julie Kay.

Baked Granola Apples

• 4 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples
• 1 1/2 cups granola cereal
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• Whipped topping or vanilla ice cream

Core apples almost to bottom and cut enough apple away from core area to make a good "well" in the center. Place apples in slow cooker and spoon enough granola cereal into each apple to almost fill the well. Finish filling the well with 1 tablespoon of raisins.

Mix ground cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over filling in apples. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over filling. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Remove and immediately top with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

Makes 4 servings.