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Apple Facts!

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:09:27 +0100

Apple trees take 4-5 years to produce their first fruit
7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world
A medium apple is about 80 calories
The crab-apple is the only apple native to North America
Most apples are still hand picked in the fall
Apples provides 5 grams of the fibre pectin
The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea
Apples are part of the rose family
A bushel of apples weighs about 42 pounds and will make 20-24 quarts of applesauce
Apples account for 50 percent of the world's decidous fruit tree production
The largest apple picked weighed three pounds

courtesy of Inside Milton Magazine Oct 2011

Over 2,000!

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 02:58:06 +0100

As of the beginning of August, we had zero pounds of fruit. There were no apricots on the apricot trees, no cherries on the cherry trees, no peaches, no plums and certainly no pears on the pear trees. We had absolutely nothing to pick.

We threw ourselves into walking the neighbourhoods of Malton to find new homes with fruit trees to register with us.

Once August hit, we began to pick harvest apples and then in September, green apples. Now in October, we are picking red, delicious apples.

With apples as the only fruit we have been able to pick, as of this evening, we have picked 2,023 pounds of fruit to donate to food banks and community kitchens!

Lazy Morning Apple Crisp

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:49:53 +0100

Normally I peel and slice apples before adding a topping and baking them. But on my lazy morning after a late evening of picking apples, I decided that I wanted Apple Crisp without the work of slicing and peeling apples.

So I simply cut them in half and removed the core. Some of the apples had little worm holes that I cut out as well, but most of them were fine.

Once they were all cut in half with the core out, I set them into a buttered baking dish. Then I mixed together:

1 cup of rolled oats
1/3 cup of flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon

After the ingredients were all mixed up, I sprinkled them on top of the apples, filling all the cores.

I baked them at 350 degrees for about 30 - 40 minutes, taking them out when I could easily slide a fork into the apple.

SO YUMMY! And the house smells great all day after baking a Lazy Morning Apple Crisp!

Re-education on Perfection

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:50:37 +0100

As we continue through the apple harvesting season, I begin to notice more and more the allure of perfection. The "perfect apple" hunt that occurs as we pick fruit, the "perfect picture" of the fruit of our labour, or the "perfect weather" in which to be out picking fruit. We all want perfection.

But "picture perfect" also plays a very sad role. Many people look only at the outside of the apple to determine whether it isworth eating. They want to see a perfectly smooth, well- rounded, store-sized apple. When they see an apple with a small blemish on one side, they immediately are no longer interested in the apple.

The beauty of what we do at the Mississauga Fruit Tree does not lie in a smooth outer shell. It lies in amazing freshness, transporting our fruit a maximum of 5-10 kilometers from where it was picked today or yesterday. It lies is a real peel that has no wax on it to give a fake shine. It lies in "perfect" vitamin C levels, not withered away from days or weeks of transportation. It lies in having NO pesticides, instead of the usual 10 applications of pesticides that most store-bought apples hold inside of them. It lies in browning rapidly upon being cut open due to very high levels of polyphenols and flavanoids, which are linked to amazing h ealth benefits.

As I spend my days picking these amazing, imperfect apples, I hope to spread my passion for what is truly beautiful and healthy.

Pounds and Pounds

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:59:57 +0100

We're very excited about what's going on around the Mississauga Fruit Tree lately! This last Saturday alone, our volunteers picked 80 pounds of apples, 15 pounds of plums and 25 pounds of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers to donate to the Knight's Table community kitchen. That's 120 pounds of fresh produce that would otherwise have been wasted that now goes to feed those in need of food and nutrition.

The equivalent 120 pounds of food that you can purchase at the store would still fill stomachs, but research has proven that the vitamin content of fruit and vegetables strongly decreases the further it travels and the longer it goes un-eaten. Through picking local fruit and vegetables and donating it the same day, we feel so excited to be able to offer not just pounds of food, but pounds of vitamin-dense produce with fresh taste that you just can't buy.

We'd love to have you call 905-299-5645 or email info@mississaugafruittree.org to learn more about being a part of our exciting adventures!

What a Scorcher!

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:11:52 +0100

This summer has been hot, hot, hot! I have loved every minute of it, but it seems that most of the population agrees with the trees that it has just been TOO hot.

Last August found the Mississauga Fruit Tree volunteers busy picking peaches, plums and pears. However this spring was so wet that many of the trees didn't pollinate well, then the summer has been so hot and dry, which was stressful for the trees. The combined result is that there is very little fruit to be found in Malton, Missisauga this season.

The bright spot in the local fruit scene is the Apple Tree! Because apple trees are pollinated a bit later than the other fruit trees, apple trees are still producing fruit this year. We are hoping for a wonderful apple-picking season which is just starting up!

If you know of an apple tree owner who hates having rotten apples in his yard and is too busy to do anything about it, please contact us as we would love your help in making good our promise to deliver fresh, local fruit to the food banks and community kitchens here.

Hope to see you at an apple harvest soon!

From Tree to Table- journeying from fruit harvesting practices of old!

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:24:03 +0100

Remember the days when gleaning fruit from home grown trees was a common practice? What would it be like to taste local fruit from tree to table again? Community members of Mississauga are able to tell us.

Fruit harvesting began just a couple of weeks ago for cherry trees. Mississauga residents and volunteers have taken fruit picking full circle for a third summer in a row. By picking cherries from local cherry trees of participating residents, the helping hands of volunteers harvested fruit before it fell, where the bounty was shared between residents, volunteers and families in need who are accessing local food programs.

A rise in food prices continues to make it increasingly difficult for low income families to access nutritious fruit. By gleaning fruit from local trees, residents and volunteers are enhancing food security by taking part in equal sharing of the fruit harvest.

To continue the journey from tree to table, the next harvest of fruits takes place towards the end of July where plums and apricots await the helping hands of volunteer Urban Fruit Pickers.

Volunteers say the best part of fruit picking is that they get to enjoy delicious fruit that is fresh and locally grown while enhancing access to fresh fruit for others to enjoy.

Is it any wonder why such a practice of old, as gleaning fruit, laid some of the foundations for a healthy community? Volunteers with the Mississauga Fruit Tree remind us of this practice as they journey from tree to table this season.

Take the journey from Tree to Table with Mississauga Fruit Tree this season by:

Volunteering
Sharing Your Fruit Tree
Contributing Financially