NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

October 15, 1998

Prairie Fare: It's as American as ...

Oh what a year to be a baseball fan. Especially if your team is the Chicago Cubs, the choice of my wife, Nicki, and me. We were fortunate enough this year to attend the opening-season series at Wrigley Field against the Montreal Expos and were sitting in the left field bleachers on Saturday, April 4—the day Sammy Sosa hit his first-of-the-season homer. Who could have guessed so many more would follow?

But then, I'm sure seated alongside us that day was Harry Caray, in spirit at least. Holy Cow, Harry. You were right. You can't beat fun at the old ballpark.

No doubt, tossing the subject of baseball into a food column foreshadows another topic: apple pie. But in this case, not just any apple pie. For those of you whose fretting about eating pome-filled pastry produces pangs of guilt, suffer no more. The modified apple pie recipe that follows slices away a good portion of the fat grams and calories.

Having read the word "modified," many of you are probably already questioning whether you'll like this version of an American classic. But give it a try—especially those of you who're interested in developing healthier eating habits. You've got to start somewhere. Why not with dessert?

Take it from a Cubs fan, eating a reduced-in-fat-and-calories-but-not-in-flavor piece of apple pie is as American—and as satisfying—as having fun at the old ballpark cheering on your hapless heroes.

Modified Apple Pie

(This recipe came from "Modifying Recipes for Better Health," produced by Colorado State University Cooperative Extension.)
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups flour
1½ teaspoons sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
6 cups sliced apples (peeling optional)
¼ cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar (for topping pastry)

Procedure:

For crust, mix flour and sugar in medium-sized bowl; add oil and mix until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans sides of bowl. Divide pastry in half and form into balls; roll out each between two pieces of waxed paper cut to 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan. Peel off top papers. Place pastry for bottom crust, paper side up, loosely in pan. Peel off paper and press in place so no air is between dough and pan. Trim off excess with knife. For filling, toss apples with juice immediately after slicing; add raisins, cornstarch, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix to coat. Turn mixture into dough-lined pan. Cut slits in pastry for top crust; place over filling, paper side up. Peel off paper. Trim overhanging edge of pastry ½-inch from rim. Flute edges and sprinkle pastry with sugar. Crimp a 3-inch strip of foil over fluted edge to prevent overbrowning. Bake at 425 F for 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble. Remove foil last 15 minutes.

What's Your Take on This, Julie?

Despite Newton's discovery, gravity is not the best friend of apples. They should be handled gently, because bumps and bruises can cause dark spots. The best storage conditions are cool and high in humidity, such as in the refrigerator crisper. They should be stored separate from other foods so they do not pick up off flavors. If properly stored, they usually retain high quality for a month or more.

From apple sauce to apple juice, apples are consumed in a variety of ways. A medium apple, which is about the size of a tennis ball, contains about 80 calories, 3 grams of dietary fiber and only a trace of fat.

The type of fiber apples contain, called pectin, has been associated with lowering blood cholesterol and possibly reducing the risk of heart disease. Each one of these portable snacks counts as a serving on your way to eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day—5 A Day.

Remember to wash apples well with plenty of water, but no soap, before eating. Foodborne-illness outbreaks associated with fresh apple juice have prompted many people to avoid all types of apple juice, particularly for children. Unpasteurized fresh-squeezed apple juice was the issue.

In other words, the product had not been heated to kill harmful bacteria. Most apple juice products, including the frozen concentrates and products on the grocery store shelf, have been heat treated. To help consumers recognize safety issues, as of November 1998, all unprocessed juice products will carry a warning label.

While an occasional piece of regular apple pie won't give you an apple shape, overindulging in sweet desserts regularly could change your proportions. A slice of apple pie usually has about 525 calories and almost 30 grams of fat. This modified version of the American classic has 245 calories and about 8 grams of fat. Using oil in place of solid shortening decreases saturated fat too.

And remember that being a sports spectator doesn't burn very many calories. Top off your piece of pie with a brisk walk.

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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136 and Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187

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