Good afternoon, how are you? I wanted to share our series featuring Food Holidays: October 5th, 2021 with you. Take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which one you most want to celebrate and why. For me and Charlie we will pass on both. While David says he wouldn’t mind having a slice of Apple Betty. Would you like to join David? As I am holding out for Apple Pie and Whipped Cream.
National Apple Betty Day
National Apple Betty Day is celebrated on the 5th of October every year in America as a National Food Holiday. On this Holiday, Apple Betty, a Crustless Apple Pie, is prepared and sold worldwide.
Why National Apple Betty Day?
This Holiday cherishes American deserts, which is dated back to the Colonial period. There was a remarkable evolution of deserts that were being served in America, from a simple Bread Pudding to the Apple Pie. Did you know Apples are considered one of the important Fruits in not only America but other Countries as well.
If we talk about Apple Pie, its Seasoned with Sugar, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon and its Crustless and instead has buttered and sweetened Crumbs. The toppings are generally of Whipped Cream or Lemon Sauce. Apple Betty has been eaten during Colonial times. Not only that President Roland Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan also ate Apple Betty.
The name Apple Brown Betty ha appeared in a magazine named “Yale Literary Magazine,” when the Pies were mentioned as things to be taken during physical training or when we perform a workout. Since then, the term gained popularity in American households so much that Apple Brown Bettie is now declared as a National Festival in America.
This Holiday is celebrated to cherish the various varieties in Apples around the world. The history of Apple Brown Betty is dated back as long as hundreds of years ago. The first-ever National Apple Betty day was celebrated on October 21, 1990.
The Holiday is dedicated to Apples and all the things created from Apples, like Apple Sauce, Apple Pie, so on. There are around 7,500 varieties of Apples. The Gala Apple is the most liked variety of Apples.
The most basic thing which one can do on this Holiday is to eat an Apple. You can enjoy Apples a raw Fruit without any additions because Apples are sweet and delicious. They are very good for our health. One could plant an Apple Tree on this Holiday.
How can we observe National Apple Betty Day?
Bake a
- Apple Betty
- Apple Brown Betty
- Grandma’s Apple Brown Betty
These recipes can be prepared enjoyed on this Holiday.
Interesting Facts on National Apple Betty Day:
- Apple Betties are an English Pudding dessert which is related to the French Apple Charlotte.
- Apple Betty is a popular dish since Colonial times.
- Apple Betty is one of the favorite dishes of Ronald and Nancy Reagon from the White House.
- Apple Brown Betty was also a part of the winning essay for the $500 American Public Health Association.
- Apple Betty got popularized after it got printed in the Yale Literary magazine in the year 1864.
History of National Apple Betty Day:
On October 21, 1990, the first national Apple Betty day was celebrated. This day was founded by U.K. based charity organization Common Ground. The day shows the enthusiasm of people celebrating the various varieties of Apples all around the world. National Apple Day has its root in Europe. Apple History roots date back to the 1600s when the Colonists arrived at Jamestown with European Apple Seedlings and started to plant and then cut down the Apples from the Apple Trees.
In the 1800s, the traveler Johnny Appleseed was on a voyage throughout the Midwest to plant the Apple Trees and teach the farmers how to take good care of Apple Trees which was a positive initiative towards growing and expanding the production of Apples. After this happened in the late 1850s, testing began on Apples to determine their suitability for the farmers ( English).
Consequently, the farmers now had a better idea as to how to grow Apples and what all is needed to make Apples nice and sweet. They began their work of sowing and reaping, and eventually, the results were pretty good. Now have around 7500 varieties of Apples that is grown around the world and people enjoy dishes of their favorite variety of Apple all the time.
If your going to celebrate today then you should post photos and videos of your favorite Apple Betty using the Hashtags #NationalAppleBettyDay and #AppleBettyDay on your Social Media pages.
Recipe for Apple Betty
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 slices white sandwich bread (about 4 ounces total), torn into large pieces
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 1/2 pounds Gala apples (about 6), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup packed light- or dark-brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a Food Processor, pulse the Bread until you have coarse crumbs formed. You will need 2 cups. Spread the Breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the Bread Crumbs cool completely then transfer to a bowl, add Butter, and toss until coated.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, place Apples in a large bowl, and toss with Lemon Juice. Stir in Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and half the Breadcrumbs. Transfer this mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Breadcrumbs. Cover dish tightly with Aluminum Foil.
- Step 3 Bake Apple Betty until the Fruit mixture is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue baking until the Breadcrumbs have browned and the Apples are easily pierced with a paring knife. Usually about 10 to 15 minutes more. Let Apple Betty cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Top, if desired, with Vanilla Ice Cream sprinkled with Cinnamon or Whipped Cream.
Rocky Mountain Oyster Day* (a Colorado delicacy)
The next step for the person who made Rocky Mountain Oysters a Holiday they had to track down the almighty Czar of Food Days, and holds the power to make National Date-Nut Bread Day a thing. They they had to persuade him to add Rocky Mountain Oyster Day to his coveted calendar.
Just who was this creator of food holidays? John-Bryan Hopkins, keeper of the Foodimentary calendar. Author of the upcoming book, “Foodimentary: Celebrating 365 Food Holidays with Classic Recipes.”
The inventor of Rocky Mountain Oysters learned, the man takes his job very earnestly and “I want you to understand how serious” Hopkins warned them via email when first approached about creating Rocky Mountain Oyster Day.
Because he, too, had grown annoyed by the amount of food Holidays. When he started, there were 170 food days on the calendar and he painstakingly added relevant foods until the calendar was filled, but other people have gone overboard creating unofficial food days.
Now we live in a state of downright food day pandemonium, where each and every day represents one or more foods the average person doesn’t often eat.. With the exception of National Beef Day (May 28!), Hopkins won’t add any more new national food days.
Although, regional days, that’s a whole other kettle of Fish.
“It simply thrills me to help create a regional Holiday,” Hopkins said after the inventor asked how to get Rocky Mountain Oyster Day onto his prized calendar. “I try not to create new holidays often, but when it connects to people in a Cultural way, then it achieves what Foodimentary has always been about: Celebrating food every day.”
After the inventor convinced him that creating a Rocky Mountain Oyster Day would be the greatest thing since sliced bread, Hopkins gave them the great privilege of combining this Holiday with National Apple Betty Day on Oct. 5.
Then there next step was to see if they could make Rocky Mountain Oyster Day government-official. State Legislatures get in on the fun of celebrating regional foods and make formal decrees. I tried to get Gov. Hickenlooper to make an official proclamation for Rocky Mountain Oyster Day on Oct. 5, but, he took a pass.
Once they had there date set, they reached out to local restaurants that serve Rocky Mountain Oysters to see if they’d like to help celebrate and get Rocky Mountain Oysters on the Oyster Gravy train. This is where everything changed, Rocky Mountain Oyster Day went from a gimmick of sorts to a deeper appreciation of Colorado cuisine.
During this process the creator, learned chefs really respect this ingredient and its American West heritage. Our ancestors were not squeamish, and nose-to-tail eating was more than a mere culinary buzzword. There’s a purpose to castrating an animal besides controlling breeding and temperament, removing an animal’s testicles when it’s young allows the muscle to develop in a, tastier way.
In cowboy culture, rounding up and castrating the young stock was a natural thing to do, and ranchers would end up with lots and lots of testicles. Because they used every part of the animal, they’d throw a “nut fry” a party where the testicles were the main course.
The “Oyster” part of the name comes from their slimy appearance when raw. Nutritionally, Rocky Mountain Oysters are powerhouses, chock-full of vitamins, minerals and more protein than what is in traditional cuts of Lamb.
These Oysters are an important part of the State’s history, and, according to many, they’re tasty.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
