The apple of my eye

One of my favourite parts about October is it marks the beginning of Ontario apple season.
Yes, I know you can get apples all year round at any grocery story, but a California apple isn't even in the same league as an Ontario apple — it's like comparing apples to oranges … or tasteless, bruised pieces of fruit.
Autumn brings a wide variety of fresh local apples, from Jona Gold and Golden Delicious to the Northern Spy and the McIntosh. Each fall, I bid goodbye to boring apple juice and say hello to the king of beverages: apple cider.
Really, how many other drinks taste equally delicious when served both hot and cold? I dare you to bring your morning glass of orange juice to a boil or let your double-double get ice cold.
And the timing of apple season is impeccable. Summer brought a bounty of local berries, from blueberries to raspberries. So fruit fanatics are suffering from a berry hangover. Then the noble pomum (Latin for apple) comes along and saves the season with its crisp, multicoloured skin and juicy flesh.
Who can say no to an apple? Don't forget, it was an apple that lured Adam to his demise in the Garden of Eden. Had Eve offered him a papaya, he never would have eaten the forbidden fruit.
The apple is the king of fruits — it's even fabled to have medicinal properties, as the saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." The apple is a symbol of health – just take a look at the huge mural on the Middlesex Health Unit building.
In fact, the apple is the most talked about fruit. If someone is well-liked, they're referred to as "the apple of my eye," whereas if the person is no good, they're referred to as "a bad apple."
And it's no coincidence that one of the most innovative technology companies in the world choose the fist-sized fruit as it's namesake and symbol. Obviously, Steve Jobs agrees with me on the top fruit.
As I type this column I'm munching on my favourite apple: the red delicious. It's a bold move naming a fruit delicious, but it lives up to expectations.
When it comes to eating apples, I do something slightly unorthodox — I eat the entire apple. In university I remember eating apples while riding the bus to school. When I started eating the core I got some strange looks from my fellow passengers, but I didn't care.
So put down the junk food and grab an apple — it's good for the Ontario farmers; it's good for your health and, most importantly, it tastes good.