NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY

On March 23rd, it is a National Day just for the chip and dip! National Chip And Dip Day celebrates a perfect combination loved by many across the country. Chips and dip are the quick and easy party dish that also makes for great parties. We enjoy them for just about any occasion. From watching the game to hunkering down for a big storm, chips and dips are the way to go. Just no double-dipping, please!

Only a few days earlier on March 14, we celebrate Potato Chip Day, and now we add a partner, the dip.  And people have been dipping their food for centuries. Hummus-like recipes date back to the 13th century. These are some of the first “dip” recipes found.

Potato chips are not the only mode of celebrating the day. There are tortilla chips, corn chips, pretzel chips, and even popcorn chips to name a few.  After you have chosen your chips, there are dozens of dips to partner with them. There are a variety of dips usually made with sour cream, cheeses, salsas, and seasonings. The combinations are endless.  Don’t hesitate to mix up your favorite or try something new!

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalChipAndDipDay

Invite some family and friends over and have a chip and dip party! Be sure to share your favorite recipes, too. Use #NationalChipAndDipDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL POTATO CHIP DAY

National Potato Chip Day on March 14th celebrates America’s #1 snack food. Millions will enjoy their favorite chip this holiday. It’s a good thing there are so many to choose from, too!

Saratoga Chips

On August 24, 1853, an unhappy restaurant customer kept sending his potatoes back to the kitchen, complaining they were thick and soggy. Chef George Crum decided to slice the potatoes as thin as possible, frying them until crisp and added extra salt. To the chef’s surprise, the customer loved them. The crispy potatoes soon became a regular item on the restaurant’s menu under the name of “Saratoga Chips.”

Other explanations point for the existence of the potato chip point to recipes in Shilling Cookery for the People by Alexis Soyer (1845) or Mary Randolph’s The Virginia House-Wife (1824). While many references between these dates sliced potatoes and fried them in grease, uncertainty remains whether the potatoes were fried to a crisp.

However, by the late 1870s, menus across the country used the term “Saratoga Chips” on train cars, hotel restaurants, and street carts. The name carried into grocers when bakeries made the chips in larger batches. They shipped them by wagon to the restaurants and grocers by the barrel. The grocers sold them to private families by the pound. Folks were instructed to bake the chips in a hot oven for a few minutes, and the chips would be as crisp as if fried that same day.

Classic Potato Chips

The Dayton, Ohio-based Mike-sell’s Potato Chip Company, founded in 1910, calls itself the “oldest potato chip company in the United States.”  New England-based Tri-Sum Potato Chips, originally established in 1908 as the Leominster Potato Chip Company, in Leominster, Massachusetts, claims to be America’s first potato chip manufacturer.

In the 20th century, potato chips spread beyond chef-cooked restaurant fare and began to be mass-produced for home consumption. Flavored chips were introduced in the 1950s. Potato Chip revenues are over $15 billion a year worldwide!

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPotatoChipDay

While we enjoy potato chips as a simple snack, they also provide a great ingredient in recipes, too. Favorite recipes include chocolate-dipped chips and crushed chips dusted over fish. Share with us how you enjoy your favorite chip recipes! Or just grab a bag of potato chips to enjoy and use #NationalPotatoChipDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL EAT A RED APPLE DAY

On December 1, National Eat a Red Apple Day encourages everyone to eat a red apple. As the adage goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and today is a perfect time to put that theory to taste.

An apple is both delicious and nutritious. With over 7,500 varieties of apples and over 7.5% of the world’s production coming from the USA, apples are widely available.

When it comes to a difference in health benefits between red and green apples, it’s a close call. Both have their advantages. Green apples beat the red apple slightly in fiber content. They also have less sugar and carbohydrates. However, red apples tend to taste better eaten fresh. They’re already naturally sweet and don’t require added sugar. The red apple slightly edges out the green in antioxidants. 

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Most green apples are reserved for baking and preserves. Since most green apples are tart, the added sugar in recipes brings about a better flavor for eating. 

More Apples….

HOW TO OBSERVE #EatARedAppleDay

There are so many ways to celebrate National Eat a Red Apple Day. 

Sink your teeth into a delicious and juicy red apple. This time of year, apples of all kinds are plentiful. Pick up several kinds and give a few to friends to enjoy, too. Create fruit baskets to give as gifts. Do you have a collection of apple recipes? They’re usually full of delicious spices that fill our homes with warm, welcoming aromas. Apples also make great snacks with a slice of cheddar cheese or with a small cup of yogurt, too.

Dried apple slices smeared with peanut butter and dipped in birdseed make excellent treats for the birds. Pierce to make a hole and thread with twine. Hang it from a tree branch. Your neighborhood birds will thank you. 

However you enjoy, share using #NationalEatARedAppleDay to post on social media.

National Apple Cider Day

Apple Cider Day is celebrated on November 18 every year. The day celebrates the rich and fruity beverage that fills our hearts and bodies with warmth. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a glass of apple cider at the end of a long day can rejuvenate the soul. Apple cider is made from freshly harvested apples that are mashed and made to resemble applesauce. This is then pressed to extract fresh juice and fermented. After the fermentation process is done, we get the sweet and spicy apple cider — the seasonal Autumn drink.

HISTORY OF APPLE CIDER DAY

The origin of apple cider dates back to 3,000 B.C. when the Celts in Britain made the beverage using crabapples. Unlike the cider we know today, this beverage was bitter because it used the local crabapples that grew in small shrubs. The Roman invasion of England in 55 B.C. brought with it apple cultivators and orcharding techniques. The harvests from these orchards were then used to make cider.

The Norman invasion of England in 1066 introduced acidic cider apples and advanced apple-pressing technology to make the juice-extraction process easier. This made cider a popular drink in England and around the world. Western Europe went through a climate shift between the 14th and 19th centuries called The Little Ice Age, where the overall temperature dropped, causing grape vineyards to suffer as they needed a warmer climate. Since apples could survive cooler temperatures, cider became the predominant alcoholic beverage over wine.

Due to an increasing market and demand, small farmers started selling their orchards to commercial cider producers in the 19th century. These producers then expanded their businesses and revamped old methods of cultivation to meet the growing demands. By the 1980s, the image of apple cider had become that of a cheap drink which country people drank. However, the Irish company Magners revived its status in the 21st century through its sleek and professional advertising campaigns showing cider as a drink of the modern era for a younger crowd who enjoyed cider.

APPLE CIDER DAY TIMELINE

3,000 B.C.Celts Make Crabapple Cider

The Celts in Britain discover cider using nearby crabapple shrubs to make a bitter beverage.55 B.C.Roman Invasion of England Introduces Apple Orchards

The Romans bring apple cultivators and orcharding techniques with them leading to the production of apple cider.19th CenturyThe Commercialization of Cider

Cider is produced in large quantities by big businesses, but its reputation slowly degrades and is seen as a cheap drink.21st CenturyApple Cider Rebrands

The Irish company, Magners, rebrands cider as a modern drink by using sleek-looking advertisements.

WHY WE CELEBRATE APPLE CIDER DAY

To welcome AutumnApples are harvested during the fall season. Cider thus represents the coming of Autumn. It’s yum. We must celebrate delicious things, and cider is loved by many because they enjoy its fruity taste.It brings people togetherCider helps people bond over stories of their childhood and the past. It also keeps the cold away and makes the heart warm.

More Apples…

HOW TO CELEBRATE APPLE CIDER DAY

  1. Buy cider from a local farmUse this day to support local cultivators. Ditch the ‘cool’ brands and buy your cider from a local farmer.
  2. Make your own apple ciderIt’s all about DIY these days. It’s very easy to make cider at home, so find that online recipe and get going!
  3. Read some literatureNot a big drinker? You can live vicariously through characters drinking cider in various Christmas stories.
  4. Share #appleciderday on social media
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NATIONAL APPLE DUMPLING DAY

National Apple Dumpling Day on September 17th honors a sweet delight of Autumn.With fall fast approaching, this food holiday comes at the height of apple harvests. Peeled and cored apples are typically placed on a pastry. Then, cinnamon and sugar are sprinkled over the top. The dough is folded around the apple creating a dumpling and baked until tender. The flavor is similar to an apple pie. 

Apple dumplings are believed to be native to the northeastern United States, around Pennsylvania.  Often found among the delicious Amish recipes, it is frequently eaten as a breakfast item. However, they are also regularly eaten as a dessert and sometimes served with ice cream.

Not only do these pastry taste and smell like fall, but they look like it, too. First, the bright apples in their many colors come into our kitchens by the baskets and boxes full. Then we season them with warm-colored spices. Finally, when the pastry comes out of the oven filling our home with that delicious fragrance, it presents us with a gorgeous golden crust.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #AppleDumplingDay

Perhaps you can enjoy eating some apple dumplings while watching the 1975 Walt Disney movie, The Apple Dumpling Gang. Use #AppleDumplingDay to post on social media.