Contest : Seasonal fruits of my country

The most popular fruit in my country and, in particular, in northern Italy, where I live, is undoubtedly the apple. In these areas, farmers produce at least a couple of million tons of them every year. More and more apple producers are adopting organic farming methods, even though it is not easy: insects and diseases easily damage the plants and their fruits.

Farmers are always looking for pesticides that protect the plants without putting human health at risk. However, pesticides are quite expensive, sometimes difficult to find, and in some cases not effective when the parasites become more aggressive. Furthermore, climate change and atmospheric warming produce increasingly strong storms, with wind, hail and heavy rain that damage the crops. Despite the difficulties, farmers are trying with all their strength to continue growing apples, because it is a fruit that is highly sought-after by consumers.

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In the fields, apples are harvested between July and November. Thanks to the different methods of preservation available, it is possible to buy apples all year round.
The apple is one of the Italian fruits that is most exported abroad: about two-thirds of the
apples produced in Italy are exported to other European countries. The Italian apple is highly appreciated for its genuine taste and its nutritional qualities. It is a fruit that is quite widespread among people because it is cheap and very versatile. The apple is delicious both raw and cooked and can be consumed in the most varied ways. Many sweet and savory recipes are prepared with the apple: cakes, salads, jams, juices, smoothies.

The apple is my favorite fruit and it is never missing from my house: in the winter I like to eat the cooked apple very hot, seasoned with cinnamon, while in the summer I use it to prepare
very fresh fruit salads, because its flavor goes well with any other seasonal fruit, such as strawberries, melons, peaches.

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The apple seems to have many benefits for the human body and in fact in Italy there is a proverb that says "an apple a day keeps the doctor away!", so eating apples, apparently, helps to avoid going to doctors! Here are some of the benefits that the apple has on health:

• it promotes the functioning of the cardiovascular system, because it contains little fat and
  little sodium;

• the apple contains pectin, a very useful substance, because it reduces cholesterol, regulates the
  level of sugar in the blood and helps to stop diarrhea;

• it is a natural anti-inflammatory;

• it is an antioxidant;

• it regulates the activity of the intestine.

The flavor of the apple and the ease with which it is used, allows you to quickly prepare many
healthy and delicious recipes that are definitely good for your mood: it is a real comfort food
within everyone's reach!
Thanks for reading my post!