ORGANIC HEADQUARTERS®
FOR THE LOVE OF ORGANICS:
APPLES
By Charity Isely
“Wanted” posters, old maps, and conversations with strangers at small-town
country stores—these are the methods apple detectives use to find lost varieties
of a fruit that once grew in orchards around the country. According to The
Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada by Daniel Bussey,
more than 16,000 unique types have been documented in these two countries;
yet, only an estimated 20 percent of that number is commercially available in
the U.S. today, with approximately 11 to 15 varieties accounting for 90 percent
of the fruit produced. And the forgotten fruit symbolizes more than dwindling
numbers: It represents lost knowledge, lost traditions, lost flavor, and
the essence of it all—lost biodiversity.
“Biodiversity—the variation of life on Earth—is
essential to healthy ecosystems and serves as
nature’s own system of checks and balances.”
—Rodale Institute
Organic apple microbiomes
have more biodiversity
One hundred million bacterial cells. That
’s the content of
one apple (from stem to core), which may
sound alarming,
but it’s actually normal. Fresh produce has
a microbiome,
just like the human gut, and it’s essential
for the health and
growth of the plant. However, the way an
apple is grown
may impact the benefits or drawbacks of
those 100 million
cells. An Austrian study published in Fron
tiers in Microbiology in 2019 found that the microbiota
in organic apples
was significantly more diverse, balanced
, and distinct than
conventional. A core strain of the organic
fruit was Lactobacillus, the “good” bacteria of probiotic
fame. By contrast,
the study found more pathogenic bacteria
on conventional
apples, including some that weren’t pres
ent in organic at all.
4 | Healt h Hot line®
Apple
Crisp
Who doesn’t love the flavors of apples and
cinnamon baked to perfection with a crispy
crumble topping? Yum! Made with prime-season
organic apples and topped with a sweet and nutty
crispy crumble made with our Natural Grocers® Brand
Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, this delicious treat is not
only gluten free, it’s also grain free, paleo friendly, and vegan!
SERVES: 8 | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 35-40 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR AND 10 MINUTES
Ingredients
Instructions
•
11 tablespoons Natural Grocers Brand Organic Plant Based
Buttery Sticks or Spread, divided
1.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2.
Conventional apples have made an annu
al appearance on
the Environmental Working Group’s “Dir
ty Dozen” list of
produce with the most pesticide residue
for at least the last
12 years, including 2021. They even held
the top spot for
five years running, from 2011 through 2015
.
•
2 teaspoons Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Organic
Cinnamon Ground, divided
For the filling, place a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low
heat and melt 3 tablespoons plant-based butter. Once the butter is
melted, whisk in 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt.
•
¾ teaspoon Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Real Salt, divided
3.
•
5 medium organic apples (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp,
Pink Lady, or any combination), washed, cored, and cut
into bite-size pieces
In a large mixing bowl, toss the apple pieces with the melted butter,
cinnamon, and salt. Once coated, add the apples back to the skillet
and increase heat to medium. Cook the apples for 5-7 minutes,
stirring gently every minute or so until the apples soften.
Send your taste buds in search
of heirloom flavor
•
1 cup Natural Grocers Brand Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
4.
•
½ cup Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Organic Coconut Sugar
•
½ cup Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Organic Pecan Pieces
While the apples soften, make the topping. Melt the remaining
butter. Stir the flour, coconut sugar, pecan pieces, and remaining
cinnamon and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the melted
butter until well combined for a crumble topping.
5.
Remove the apples from the heat. Use your hands to crumble the
topping over the apples and gently press down.
6.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until apples are tender and topping is crisp.
Let cool for five minutes and serve with topping of your choice.
Pesticide residue news flash
Cultivating biodiversity is a core principle of organic farming, which relies
on an ecosystem’s natural resources to make it productive. Consider
an organic apple orchard, where native plants function as weed control,
natural predators as pest control, and synthetic fertilizer is replaced with
manure. A three-year study comparing the impacts on biodiversity in
just such an orchard to its conventional counterpart found that the proof
is in the pudding, or rather, the pie. The organic orchard scored higher
on critical measures of soil health, including bacterial diversity and a
greater abundance of Rhizobium, a nitrogen-fixing bacteria that plays an
important role in soil productivity and fertility. It had an average of 20
times more earthworms, which is significant because they help with water
movement, nutrient cycling, plant growth, and improving soil structure.
Finally, the study found that organic management had the potential to
deliver up to 103 percent higher economic benefits, “on the premise of
no irreversible damages to the environment and biodiversity.”
IRON SKILLET
Look for Cox Orange Pippin, Ribston Pipp
in, and Orleans
Reinette, apples that have histories datin
g as far back
as the 1700s. And be sure to choose orga
nic, because
they’re extra delicious—the Austrian stud
y found organic
apples had higher levels of Methylobact
erium, which is
known to enhance flavor compounds!
For references, email
[email protected]
Optional Toppings:
Whipped topping or ice cream of your choice
Natural Grocers® | 5
