School Unit: Apples
Welcome to the latest unit blog from Kids Cook!
This blog is about all things apples. As we kick off our semester in schools, we will be giving kids the opportunity to experience four different types of apples using all five senses!
Apples are one of the most popular fruits in the entire world! There are more than 7500 varieties of apples grown worldwide, and more than 2500 types in the United States. Apples (except for the crabapple) aren’t native to America, but were brought over by explorers and colonists from Europe. The top apple growing countries in the world are China, the United States, Turkey, Poland, and Italy!
Ready to learn more? Keep reading!
Homemade Applesauce
Apples (and applesauce) contain lots of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Apples are packed with fiber, which helps your digestive process and keeps you feeling fuller for longer!
TOOLS NEEDED:
1 cutting board
1 chef’s knife
1 liquid measuring cup
1 set measuring spoons
1 medium saucepan with lid
1 potato masher
1 large spoon
INGREDIENTS:
5 apples
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
STEPS
Wash apples and peel if desired. Quarter the apples and remove the core and seeds.
Cut each apple quarter into four pieces. Add the chopped pieces to a saucepan and add the water, bringing it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples are soft, stirring often.
Remove the apples from the heat and use a potato masher to mash the pieces until they are smooth. If desired, add cinnamon to taste and stir to combine. Serve warm or chill for 30 minutes before eating.
How to… use dry and liquid measuring cups
One of the easiest cooking skills for kids to master is measuring ingredients!
In the Kids Cook! welcome class at the start of each school year, we go over the different types of measuring cups and spoons, and what they’re used for.
While dry and liquid measuring cups hold the same volume, they are designed to work best with a specific type of ingredient.
Liquid measuring cups are made for measuring water, oil, milk, juice, and other liquids. They are made of glass or clear plastic, so you can see the liquid level from the outside of the container to get an accurate measurement. They also have a spout, so you can easily pour the liquid into the bowl or pan you’re cooking in.
Dry measuring cups are made for measuring flour, sugar, rice, cornmeal, and some liquidy solids like nut butters and honey. The cups have a flat surface on top so you can scoop and level your ingredient to measure the correct amount.
Did you know? Measuring spoons are the only all-purpose measuring tool, which means that you can use them for measuring out wet ingredients (like vanilla extract or rice vinegar) and measuring out dry ingredients (like salt, baking soda, or breadcrumbs.)
Want to see dry and liquid measuring in real time? Check out the video below on how to use both types of kitchen tools!
Try This! Kitchen Science Experiment
Check out our save the apples blog on the best way to keep apples from browning. You can test out several different common methods and determine which one works best! You can read more about the experiment and print out your own workbook to record your findings using the link below:
Amazing Apple Facts
Apples are amazing! Archeologists have found evidence that people have been eating apples for more than 8500 years. Flash forward to today, where the average person eats 16 pounds (or 65 apples) each year. Good thing that 93 million tons of apples are harvest yearly worldwide!
Apples come in thousands of varieties and range in size from as small as a cherry to as large as a grapefruit! Their colors vary from green to yellow to red.
Apples are 25% air by volume, which is why they float. They are less dense than water - the perfect fruit for apple bobbing!
According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the heaviest apple on record weighed 4 pounds and 1 ounce. It was grown and picked by Chisato Iwasaki in 2005 at his apple farm in Hirosaki City, Japan.
Nutrition Focus: Fiber
Fiber - it’s nature’s toothbrush! 🪥
Fiber is a nutrient found in apples that helps us digest our food. Fiber helps move food through our intestines and helps us feel full. Fiber works best with water, which is good reason to stay hydrated!
Apples have fiber in their skin and flesh, and they are 85% water, so eating an apple a day really does help your body and your health!