The beautiful array of apples coming into the market takes me back to junior high Family & Consumer Sciences home economics classes I taught. There were a surprising number of students who “didn’t like apples!” This could not drop off my teacher radar—apples are relatively inexpensive, extremely nutritious treats. What to do? (It NEVER works to just say “Eat this, it’s good for you.”)
Using sensory science first, we’d cut and labeled sample slices of about 5-8 varieties. Tasting one slice of each variety helped the students prove to themselves “an apple is NOT just an apple.”
You’ll love the U.S. Apple Association’s variety chart
Sometimes we’d simply Bake Apples, or make Homemade Applesauce, to see and taste how flavors and textures differed.
Often we’d tackle something a little more grand—apple galettes, apple pie, or apple cake, all were favorites.
My pick for Fall 2018—Apple Custard Pie
If you go “gluten-free,” as the recipe suggests, you’ll need a Gluten-free Pie Crust
Fruit and sugar go hand and hand—it’s a great time to help the students learn facts about sugar while they learn about fruit. Explore how the “sweet” gets in fruit, and where sugar comes from. Both are the product of photosynthesis. Download infographic here
Brush up on your sugar myths and facts with this Food Insight, August 2018 feature, and Sugar in the Diet consumer facts.
Illustrate with a small apple (a serving) and The Fruit in All Forms, Making Sense of Sugars Infographic to teach sugar and fruit facts
Promote critical thinking— Is the apple’s sugar a “natural” sugar? How did it get there? If the apple’s sugar was extracted into a sugar bowl, would your body use it in the same way? Sugar is not evil. It often comes with nutritious company.
Help the students get a handle on Bite-Sized Tips on Sugar Portion Control
Round out the eating experience. After you’ve created a beautiful Apple Custard Pie, help the students portion it sensibly, sit down, turn the tech off, and enjoy eating together, slowly savoring a little of Fall’s beauty and flavor.