More than 100 apple varieties are grown commercially in the United States.
Photo courtesy MelindaMyers.com
By Melinda Myers
October is National Apple Month and an excellent time to find more ways to incorporate this healthy food into your daily diet. This superfood is low in calories, high in fiber, rich in nutrients, promotes heart and oral health and can aid in weight loss.
Have an apple or other healthy snack before your next trip to the grocery store. Researchers at Cornell University found that people who ate a healthy snack before grocery shopping purchased 25 to 28% more produce than those who ate a cookie or nothing at all before heading to the store.
You’ll find a variety of apples from tart to sweet and firm to soft to choose from. Purchase favorites or try new-to-you varieties you can find at farmer’s markets, orchards, and retailers this time of the year. Many offer samples and provide recipes and recommendations for the best snacking, baking, and processing varieties. Or buy a collection of apples and conduct your own taste test.
Whole fresh apples provide the greatest benefits. Combine them with peanut butter or cheese for a healthy protein snack. Add sweetness and crunch to salads with apple slices.
Extend your enjoyment with proper storage. Use bruised, cut, or damaged fruit as soon as possible and only store firm blemish-free apples.
Mature apples store best in temperatures between 32 and 39 degrees with 95% humidity. Providing ideal storage conditions is not always possible. Maximize their storage life by placing apples in perforated plastic bags in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. The plastic bag helps increase the humidity around the fruit while allowing air to flow through the holes.
Purchase extra apples for preserving. Make them into sauce or apple pie filling for canning. Peel, chop, cook and dry into fruit leathers for snacking. Make and freeze apple pies for a quick and easy dessert you can simply bake and serve when needed.
Set aside a few apples to have fun converting them into apple heads. This Native American tradition was picked up by the settlers and is now a part of American folk art. All you need are a couple apples, ½ cup lemon juice, two tablespoons salt, a bowl of water, a pencil, and a knife.
Mix salt and lemon juice in a bowl of water and set aside. Peel the apple and core if you want to place it on a stick or prefer a long droopy face. Draw the outline of the face then carve the features into the apple.
Soak the carved apple in the bowl of salty lemon water for about 10 minutes. Set on a cooling rack or hang the apples in a warm place to dry. Apples are ready when spongy or leathery to the touch.
Add a few details to the apple head by inserting beads for eyes and rice for teeth. Use it as a head for a doll or place it on a stick and add it to your Halloween decorations.
Take advantage of the apple season to find new ways to include apples in your diet. You’ll enjoy a diversity of flavors and the many uses this healthful fruit provides.
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Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is Melinda Myers.com.
October is National Apple Month and an excellent time to find more ways to incorporate this healthy food into your daily diet. This superfood is low in calories, high in fiber, rich in nutrients, promotes heart and oral health and can aid in weight loss.
Have an apple or other healthy snack before your next trip to the grocery store. Researchers at Cornell University found that people who ate a healthy snack before grocery shopping purchased 25 to 28% more produce than those who ate a cookie or nothing at all before heading to the store.
You’ll find a variety of apples from tart to sweet and firm to soft to choose from. Purchase favorites or try new-to-you varieties you can find at farmer’s markets, orchards, and retailers this time of the year. Many offer samples and provide recipes and recommendations for the best snacking, baking, and processing varieties. Or buy a collection of apples and conduct your own taste test.
Whole fresh apples provide the greatest benefits. Combine them with peanut butter or cheese for a healthy protein snack. Add sweetness and crunch to salads with apple slices.
Extend your enjoyment with proper storage. Use bruised, cut, or damaged fruit as soon as possible and only store firm blemish-free apples.
Mature apples store best in temperatures between 32 and 39 degrees with 95% humidity. Providing ideal storage conditions is not always possible. Maximize their storage life by placing apples in perforated plastic bags in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. The plastic bag helps increase the humidity around the fruit while allowing air to flow through the holes.
Purchase extra apples for preserving. Make them into sauce or apple pie filling for canning. Peel, chop, cook and dry into fruit leathers for snacking. Make and freeze apple pies for a quick and easy dessert you can simply bake and serve when needed.
Set aside a few apples to have fun converting them into apple heads. This Native American tradition was picked up by the settlers and is now a part of American folk art. All you need are a couple apples, ½ cup lemon juice, two tablespoons salt, a bowl of water, a pencil, and a knife.
Mix salt and lemon juice in a bowl of water and set aside. Peel the apple and core if you want to place it on a stick or prefer a long droopy face. Draw the outline of the face then carve the features into the apple.
Soak the carved apple in the bowl of salty lemon water for about 10 minutes. Set on a cooling rack or hang the apples in a warm place to dry. Apples are ready when spongy or leathery to the touch.
Add a few details to the apple head by inserting beads for eyes and rice for teeth. Use it as a head for a doll or place it on a stick and add it to your Halloween decorations.
Take advantage of the apple season to find new ways to include apples in your diet. You’ll enjoy a diversity of flavors and the many uses this healthful fruit provides.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is Melinda Myers.com.
Improving Your Odds for Opening Day of Firearms Deer Hunting Season
By Jack Payne
Will it be crunching leaves or the sound of water splashing? Some years the water is deeper than our knee boots, creating a dilemma and requiring creativity to reach our ground blinds. Other years the water is more like a few scattered puddles. When that happens, we hope for a frosty morning so we can hear deer hooves crunching.
We hunt public land in the Upper Peninsula and in Allegan County, and our success rate is well above the state average. We are not super hunters. What we do can and will work for any hunter.
We hunt where most other hunters don’t. In the Upper Peninsula, we hunt transition areas. In front of us, maybe 200-300 yards out, is a farm. Behind us is a dense cedar swamp, and most of our ground blinds sit against the thick cedars or within shooting distance.
We walk a mile to our stands, half through a cedar swamp, water, briars, and prickers. The farm owners hunt and have a few stands almost on the state land, so they know where we are, and we know where they are. We don't impose on them, so we have good mutual respect.
Our ground blinds in Allegan County are all located in thick, nasty, and overlooked spots. Some thickets are only a few acres, while others might cover 40, 80, or even a few hundred acres.
Again, these stands might be in a cattail marsh, deep water, or near impenetrable cover. We would rather hunt the outer edges, but unlike hunting in the Upper Peninsula, Allegan has far too many hunters, and we want the other hunters to assist us.
Often, there is a lull after 9 and before most guys head in for coffee or lunch. This is why the midday hours are so good: folks are moving about, cold, bored, or hungry, and that movement gets the deer moving. We are sitting before sunrise and right up to darkness. It can get old but every hunter in our group will get at least one shot at buck.
To sit all day, you must have faith in your blind location. If you scouted properly, you should have a location or two that smells like success. Deer like security once the guns sound off. Thick cover, like a swamp, an old clear-cut, cornfields, or a briar thicket, draws deer. Look for fresh droppings and signs of deer bedding.
Carry high-protein snacks and drinks. Dried fruit, jerky, almonds, peanuts, two peanut butter sandwiches, and cubed cheese are excellent choices. Water is hard to beat. I space my snacks out, and that gives me something to look forward to.
Warm clothes are a must. Layered clothing is best, and when you walk in, carry some of those clothes. We bring our extra clothes to our blind at least one day before opening and leave them in a plastic bag along with our chair. If you overheat, you will sweat and then turn cold. It’s better to get to your blind five minutes late without sweating than to arrive on time and freeze two hours later.
Carry a comfortable stool with a backrest. If you can’t sit because of leg or back cramps, then you are finished. The same applies if you hunt from a tree, so be comfortable.
Carry a piece of carpet if it’s really cold. Cold, frozen turf sucks the heat out of your feet. An old piece of carpet will keep your feet warmer.
Over the past three seasons, we boned our deer in the woods, which cut down on the effort of carrying out. You must bring proof of the deer's sex with you.
Tell yourself you will see a deer, and you only need to see one to make the season a success; sitting on the stand all day becomes easier. Feed a mouse bread crumbs each year when hunting in the upper. Entertaining at least. A plastic sled makes hauling gear into the woods, and a buck out, much nicer. I’ve averaged 2-3 buck sightings on opening day when I stay all day.
Before the opener, stop by Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop.
Will it be crunching leaves or the sound of water splashing? Some years the water is deeper than our knee boots, creating a dilemma and requiring creativity to reach our ground blinds. Other years the water is more like a few scattered puddles. When that happens, we hope for a frosty morning so we can hear deer hooves crunching.
We hunt public land in the Upper Peninsula and in Allegan County, and our success rate is well above the state average. We are not super hunters. What we do can and will work for any hunter.
We hunt where most other hunters don’t. In the Upper Peninsula, we hunt transition areas. In front of us, maybe 200-300 yards out, is a farm. Behind us is a dense cedar swamp, and most of our ground blinds sit against the thick cedars or within shooting distance.
We walk a mile to our stands, half through a cedar swamp, water, briars, and prickers. The farm owners hunt and have a few stands almost on the state land, so they know where we are, and we know where they are. We don't impose on them, so we have good mutual respect.
Our ground blinds in Allegan County are all located in thick, nasty, and overlooked spots. Some thickets are only a few acres, while others might cover 40, 80, or even a few hundred acres.
Again, these stands might be in a cattail marsh, deep water, or near impenetrable cover. We would rather hunt the outer edges, but unlike hunting in the Upper Peninsula, Allegan has far too many hunters, and we want the other hunters to assist us.
Often, there is a lull after 9 and before most guys head in for coffee or lunch. This is why the midday hours are so good: folks are moving about, cold, bored, or hungry, and that movement gets the deer moving. We are sitting before sunrise and right up to darkness. It can get old but every hunter in our group will get at least one shot at buck.
To sit all day, you must have faith in your blind location. If you scouted properly, you should have a location or two that smells like success. Deer like security once the guns sound off. Thick cover, like a swamp, an old clear-cut, cornfields, or a briar thicket, draws deer. Look for fresh droppings and signs of deer bedding.
Carry high-protein snacks and drinks. Dried fruit, jerky, almonds, peanuts, two peanut butter sandwiches, and cubed cheese are excellent choices. Water is hard to beat. I space my snacks out, and that gives me something to look forward to.
Warm clothes are a must. Layered clothing is best, and when you walk in, carry some of those clothes. We bring our extra clothes to our blind at least one day before opening and leave them in a plastic bag along with our chair. If you overheat, you will sweat and then turn cold. It’s better to get to your blind five minutes late without sweating than to arrive on time and freeze two hours later.
Carry a comfortable stool with a backrest. If you can’t sit because of leg or back cramps, then you are finished. The same applies if you hunt from a tree, so be comfortable.
Carry a piece of carpet if it’s really cold. Cold, frozen turf sucks the heat out of your feet. An old piece of carpet will keep your feet warmer.
Over the past three seasons, we boned our deer in the woods, which cut down on the effort of carrying out. You must bring proof of the deer's sex with you.
Tell yourself you will see a deer, and you only need to see one to make the season a success; sitting on the stand all day becomes easier. Feed a mouse bread crumbs each year when hunting in the upper. Entertaining at least. A plastic sled makes hauling gear into the woods, and a buck out, much nicer. I’ve averaged 2-3 buck sightings on opening day when I stay all day.
Before the opener, stop by Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop.
County Parks Report Progress on Various Projects
There's been progress on several projects across Ottawa County Parks, including ongoing construction on the Idema Explorers Trail, a new trail connection, and the opening of an expanded park property. Here are the latest updates.
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Idema Explorers Trail Segments
Construction is underway on more than six miles of the Idema Explorers Trail, including the Bass River and Eastmanville Bayou segments. Work on these sections is part of the ongoing development of the planned 36.5-mile non-motorized trail, which will eventually connect Grand Haven to Grand Rapids along the south side of the Grand River.
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Bass River Segment
The first three-mile phase of the Bass River Segment is nearing completion in Robinson and Allendale Charter Townships. The new 10-foot-wide shared-use trail extends the existing Odawa Segment from Riverside Park to the Max Bayou boat launch.
Ottawa County Parks is leading the project in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which owns and manages the 1,665-acre Bass River State Recreation Area.
The full 7.4-mile Bass River Segment will be constructed in four phases, eventually connecting Riverside Park, Bass River State Recreation Area, and Eastmanville Bayou through nearly 2,000 acres of parkland. Much of the route will be separated from roads, with views of Max Bayou and the Grand River.
Phase 1 is supported by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Parks and Open Space Millage.
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Eastmanville Bayou Segment
Construction has also begun on a separate three-mile section of the Idema Explorers Trail that will connect Allendale Township neighborhoods to Eastmanville Bayou and the Grand River.
The route will follow 60th Avenue and Lincoln Street, descend the former 61st Avenue right-of-way to the river, and continue west through Eastmanville Bayou to the park entrance at 68th Avenue.
Construction includes retaining walls, a boardwalk, and improvements to the bridge underpass at 68th Avenue.
The project is expected to be completed in spring 2027. It will form the eastern end of an eventual nine-mile, largely off-road trail corridor extending west to Bass River State Recreation Area.
Learn more at grandrivergreenway.org
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New Trail Connection Creates Continuous Hiking Route from KLH Dunes to Hoffmaster State Park
Hikers can now travel from Kitchel Lindquist Hartger (KLH) Dunes Preserve all the way to P.J. Hoffmaster State Park, thanks to a new trail connection through Grand Haven Dunes.
The new 1.1-mile Grand Haven Dunes Connector Trail links KLH Dunes Preserve to Ottawa Sands County Park. From there, hikers can follow existing trails through North Ottawa Dunes to P.J.
Hoffmaster State Park. Ottawa County Parks and Recreation staff completed trail clearing and signage in early October.
The trail network is part of the larger Lake Michigan Coastal Greenway, a corridor spanning thousands of acres of protected natural areas along the lakeshore, including globally rare freshwater coastal dunes.
The Grand Haven Dunes Connector is a natural surface trail consisting of loose sand and uneven terrain. Hikers should wear sturdy footwear, bring water, and allow extra time to navigate the route.
Visitors are encouraged to review trail maps before heading out.
Bend Area Expansion Opens to the Public
The 185-acre Bend Area expansion officially opened to the public on Oct. 14. A designated parking area and trail signage are now available at the site.
A community input session to kick off an update to the master plan will take place on Dec. 1 and help guide future improvements.
Learn more at news.miottawa.org/ bend-area.
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New Restroom Under Construction at Upper Macatawa Natural Area
Construction is underway on a new modern restroom at the 84th Avenue entrance to Upper Macatawa Natural Area in Zeeland Township. The facility will better serve hikers, mountain bikers, and other park visitors.
The project follows improvements at nearby Hawthorn Park, including a new restroom, expanded parking, and the 2.1-mile Middle Macatawa Connector Trail, a natural surface trail connecting the two parks along the Macatawa River Greenway.
Learn more at news.miottawa.org/macatawa-greenway.
Ottawa County Parks & Recreation manages over 7,700 acres of parks, trails, beaches, and open spaces across Ottawa County, providing opportunities to hike, paddle, and explore the outdoors year-round. The park system is supported through a combination of grants, partnerships, user fees, philanthropy, volunteer support, and the voter-approved Parks & Open Space Millage, which includes a proposed increase on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Visit miOttawa.org/parks for more information about the park system.
—————
Idema Explorers Trail Segments
Construction is underway on more than six miles of the Idema Explorers Trail, including the Bass River and Eastmanville Bayou segments. Work on these sections is part of the ongoing development of the planned 36.5-mile non-motorized trail, which will eventually connect Grand Haven to Grand Rapids along the south side of the Grand River.
—————
Bass River Segment
The first three-mile phase of the Bass River Segment is nearing completion in Robinson and Allendale Charter Townships. The new 10-foot-wide shared-use trail extends the existing Odawa Segment from Riverside Park to the Max Bayou boat launch.
Ottawa County Parks is leading the project in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which owns and manages the 1,665-acre Bass River State Recreation Area.
The full 7.4-mile Bass River Segment will be constructed in four phases, eventually connecting Riverside Park, Bass River State Recreation Area, and Eastmanville Bayou through nearly 2,000 acres of parkland. Much of the route will be separated from roads, with views of Max Bayou and the Grand River.
Phase 1 is supported by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Parks and Open Space Millage.
—————
Eastmanville Bayou Segment
Construction has also begun on a separate three-mile section of the Idema Explorers Trail that will connect Allendale Township neighborhoods to Eastmanville Bayou and the Grand River.
The route will follow 60th Avenue and Lincoln Street, descend the former 61st Avenue right-of-way to the river, and continue west through Eastmanville Bayou to the park entrance at 68th Avenue.
Construction includes retaining walls, a boardwalk, and improvements to the bridge underpass at 68th Avenue.
The project is expected to be completed in spring 2027. It will form the eastern end of an eventual nine-mile, largely off-road trail corridor extending west to Bass River State Recreation Area.
Learn more at grandrivergreenway.org
—————
New Trail Connection Creates Continuous Hiking Route from KLH Dunes to Hoffmaster State Park
Hikers can now travel from Kitchel Lindquist Hartger (KLH) Dunes Preserve all the way to P.J. Hoffmaster State Park, thanks to a new trail connection through Grand Haven Dunes.
The new 1.1-mile Grand Haven Dunes Connector Trail links KLH Dunes Preserve to Ottawa Sands County Park. From there, hikers can follow existing trails through North Ottawa Dunes to P.J.
Hoffmaster State Park. Ottawa County Parks and Recreation staff completed trail clearing and signage in early October.
The trail network is part of the larger Lake Michigan Coastal Greenway, a corridor spanning thousands of acres of protected natural areas along the lakeshore, including globally rare freshwater coastal dunes.
The Grand Haven Dunes Connector is a natural surface trail consisting of loose sand and uneven terrain. Hikers should wear sturdy footwear, bring water, and allow extra time to navigate the route.
Visitors are encouraged to review trail maps before heading out.
Bend Area Expansion Opens to the Public
The 185-acre Bend Area expansion officially opened to the public on Oct. 14. A designated parking area and trail signage are now available at the site.
A community input session to kick off an update to the master plan will take place on Dec. 1 and help guide future improvements.
Learn more at news.miottawa.org/ bend-area.
—————
New Restroom Under Construction at Upper Macatawa Natural Area
Construction is underway on a new modern restroom at the 84th Avenue entrance to Upper Macatawa Natural Area in Zeeland Township. The facility will better serve hikers, mountain bikers, and other park visitors.
The project follows improvements at nearby Hawthorn Park, including a new restroom, expanded parking, and the 2.1-mile Middle Macatawa Connector Trail, a natural surface trail connecting the two parks along the Macatawa River Greenway.
Learn more at news.miottawa.org/macatawa-greenway.
Ottawa County Parks & Recreation manages over 7,700 acres of parks, trails, beaches, and open spaces across Ottawa County, providing opportunities to hike, paddle, and explore the outdoors year-round. The park system is supported through a combination of grants, partnerships, user fees, philanthropy, volunteer support, and the voter-approved Parks & Open Space Millage, which includes a proposed increase on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Visit miOttawa.org/parks for more information about the park system.
