Summer is ending, and fall is quickly approaching. For many of us, that means cooler weather, heading back to school and watching leaves turn the colors of a bright, beautiful sunset. What’s your favorite thing about this new season? Perhaps this week you have eaten one of the sweetest pleasures of the fall season—a crisp, juicy apple!
In many places around North America, fall means it’s apple season. Orchards are filled with apples of different shapes and colors, ready to be harvested and eaten by hungry folks like you and me. Even if you are not a big fan of apples, you may enjoy some of the following: apple juice, apple cider, applesauce, apple butter, apple cake, apple chips, apple pie.
______________________________________________ (Write one of your favorite apple treats here!)
Going Apple Pickin’
Apple orchards contain miles of trees filled with delicious apples. Some orchards allow people to come and pick their own apples to take home.
How do you know when an apple is ripe and ready to be picked? The best way to tell if an apple is ripe is to taste it! If the apple is very sour, it is not quite ready. You can also tell if an apple is ripe by looking at the seeds. If the seeds are dark, the apple is very close to ripe. Most ripe apples easily come off of an apple tree when you pick them.
An Apple a Day
Have you ever heard the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? It’s true! Not only do apples taste great, but they are very good for you too.
Apples are packed with vitamins C, K, and B6, which help your body fight against diseases. Apples also are full of fiber. Fiber can reduce heart problems that sometimes result in heart disease and stroke. Apples also have potassium, a very important mineral that can help your heart stay healthy and strong. Be sure to eat apples with the skin, since that is where most of the healthy vitamins and minerals are found.
The Apple of God’s Eye
Maybe you have heard your parents or other relatives say something like, “Sweetie, you’re the apple of my eye!” I’m pretty sure they didn’t mean that an apple would really grow out of their eye! Instead they were telling you how special you are, and how much they love you. God looks at you the same way. The writer of Psalm 17:8 says to God, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
An Apple Experiment
Let’s try a little apple experiment:
Take out a bag of apples and pick one apple to examine closely. Then take out a sheet of paper and a pencil, and write down what the apple looks like, using as many details as you can. Does it have a spot on one side, or a dimple on the other? Is it mostly red or yellow or green? After you have written down as much information as you can, mix the apple back in the bag with the rest of the apples. Come back after a half-hour or so, and find the apple you wrote about. I bet you’ll be able to find it!
In some ways, people are a lot like apples. Though we are all humans, we come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. God is able to tell each of us apart because he created us unique and special. You are the apple of God’s eye!
Comparing Apples to Apples
Here’s a fun apple taste test. Ask an adult to take you to your local grocery store and buy at least one of the following apples (or choose different apples that are available in the store near you). Have an adult help you cut a slice from each apple. Then write down how each apple looks, feels, and tastes. After your taste test, choose a “winner”—the apple that you like the best!
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Granny Smith |
Golden Delicious |
Fuji |
McIntosh |
Other |
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How it looks (What color is it? Is it smooth or bumpy?) |
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How it feels (Is it soft or crunchy?) |
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How it tastes (Is it sweet or tart?) |
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My favorite apple is __________________________________________________
Homemade Applesauce
Ask an adult to help you make your own applesauce!
What you’ll need:
A large pot
6-8 apples (ask an adult to help you peel and cut the apples into slices)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup water or apple cider
What to do:
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and boil over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the apples are very tender, remove the pot from the heat and let the apples cool. Use a potato masher or an electric mixer to mash the apples to make applesauce. Cool completely. Enjoy!
About the Author
Christin Baker is a full-time stay-at-home mom who also writes for Faith Alive. She is a member of Resurrection Fellowship Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.
