Six-year-old Jeffrey Bush offers his younger brother some apple-picking wisdom in the midst of the orchard at Leubner Apple Farm in Jordan.

“You can't break the stem, so that the next (apple) can grow,” Jeffrey warns 3-year-old Andrew Bush.

Sharon and Brian Bush said they have been bringing their family to Leubners for about three years now. Picking two bags of apples of all varieties, one is set to go to grandma and the other, well that's set to make apple pies, fritters and, as Andrew's twin sister Amanda demonstrates, to just chomp right into.

“That's the best part,” Sharon said as she watched her daughter.

What the young girl might not realize is that it really is the best, most nutritious way to eat an apple.

Peter Gregg, spokesman for the New York Apple Association, said there is a reason the old adage that eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away is true. Apples have been proven to help prevent cancer and Alzheimer's disease, lower cholesterol, improve breathing and can even help with weight loss.

“The Mayo Clinic last month ranked apples as one of the Top 10 foods that every consumer should include in their diet,” Gregg said. “I would even recommend three a day, the more the better.”

The key, however, is to include the peel, which he said is where the majority of the nutrients are found.

“Whether you are baking with apples or using slices in a salad or just eating it, be sure to eat the peel, that's the best part as far as the doctor is concerned,” Gregg said alluding to Cornell University studies, which say nutrients and most antioxidants are found in the outer layer of the apple.

This fall the New York Apple Association has been promoting its new applesauce recipe that can be made either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Because the skin is left on the apple, it is a healthier alternative to the classic recipe.

“(The studies) are defiantly true,” Gregg said, “but all the health benefits are secondary to that it just tastes great.”

Which likely accounts for the reason the fruit has always been a favorite for baking.

“I've tried applesauce before, but I don't know if I'll do it again, it was kind of hard,” Sharon Bush said. “But I'll definitely do the pies and fritters. The kids love those.”

At Owen Orchards in Weedsport, the sales barn emits the aroma of apples and cinnamon. Although the shelves are lined with fresh baked goods, owner Gordon Tripp said their specialty is apple cider doughnuts.

Dusting each doughnut with sugar when it is fresh off the Donut Robot, Tripp conceded he thinks Owen Orchards' cider doughnuts are some of the best around.

“It's regular doughnut mix, but besides using water, we use apple cider,” he said. “Some people do half water, half cider. We use 100 percent cider to really give them the apple flavor.”

While Tripp said typically a variety of apples makes the best cider, it doesn't make much of a difference in the doughnuts, which he normally makes at 6 a.m. every morning. Because everything is done by weight, the ratio is about 10 pounds of doughnut mixture to every five pounds of cider for the average of 18 dozen per day and close to 48 dozen on Saturdays and Sundays.

Like the cider pressed right at the farm, Tripp said a variety of apples mixed make the best pies, but essentially a person should just use what they like. The early McIntosh apples can give a pie a more applesauce consistency on the inside, while Crispins hold their shape and don't cook down quite as much. Every pie sold at Owen Orchards, however, is made with Cortland apples.

Teri Leubner, owner of Leubner Apple Farm, also reaps the culinary benefits of having a cider press. She uses cider in her original and undisclosed sugar cookie recipe.

She created the cookies - and every other apple baked good for sale - on her own through trial and error in the kitchen.

Leubner also uses apples and their juices to spice up the dinner table.

“I use cider to roast pork or turkey,” she said. “Instead of using water to baste, I use cider.”

Gregg reiterated the health benefits of using apples to cook with when he pointed out that picking varieties with a naturally high sugar content decreases the amount of granulated sugar needed in a recipe.

“We're always trying to impress upon people the many benefits of eating apples,” Gregg said.

No need to tell Jeffrey Bush. He's just excited to see what will be in his lunch box for the next few days.

“I think I'll get lots of apples,” he said.

Staff writer Laura Boyce can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 236 or at laura.boyce@lee.net