Fruit: Apple

Recipes:
Wensleydale With Apple Paté
Potato and Apple Rosti
Somerset Apple Cake
Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup

Type: Apples are from the rose family, as are strawberries, raspberries, plums and pears.

Vitamin and mineral content: They’re a great source of dietary fibre and vitamin C. Most of the fibre is in the skin, which in non-organic apples is where the pesticides also reside.

Reputedly good for: Apples contain both insoluble and soluble fibre that can knock down cholesterol levels, reducing your risk of hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke. Apples are also packed with anti-oxidants.

Availability: The first British apples are just appearing on the shop’s shelves. From late August to the end of the year, you’ll be able to try a great range of the best Britain has to offer. Early varieties include Lena, Discovery and the delicious Grenadier cooking apple.

Storage: Apples keep longer when they’re cool, but lose their flavour when they’re cold. A larder or dark, cool cupboard is perfect, although they look so lovely out in a bowl they won’t be around long enough to go bad. Non-organic apples need a good wash to get rid of the chemicals they’re sprayed with. You may prefer to peel them, although you will lose much of their nutritional value this way.

Origins: Apples were cultivated by the Greeks and enjoyed by the Romans. The success story of apples has resulted in over 7000 varieties being available around the world. You could be forgiven for thinking only a few varieties exist, as British supermarkets have tended to focus on a small selection, based on what keeps and what looks pretty.