Fall signals the return of apple season, and in fact, the months of September, October and November are National Apple Months. Let’s celebrate with some fun facts — and, of course, by biting into a crisp and delicious apple today!     

• Archeologists put apple eating as far back as 6,500 B.C.
• We eat an average of about 19 pounds of fresh apples per person per year.
• An apple tree's leaves transfer the sun’s energy into stored carbohydrates in the apple itself — it takes the work of at least 50 leaves to make one apple.
• A medium, fist-sized apple supplies 80 calories of energizing carbohydrates that your body can use as fuel during exercise or other activities.
• Apples supply a soluble fiber called pectin that helps lower circulating cholesterol levels by blocking cholesterol absorption into the body.
• Enjoy apples with the peel on — two-thirds of the fiber is in the peel, as well as other health-boosting compounds called flavonoids that may help ward off cancer.
• Apple cider supplies 125 calories per 8-oz serving. It takes 36 apples to make a gallon of cider.
• Store apples in the fridge to keep them crisp longer. Warm temperatures speed up a ripening process that turns apples mushy nine times faster than when they’re stored in the fridge.
• Snack on apples as a way to curb your appetite — studies show an apple snack can lead to consuming fewer calories at your next meal.
• And next time you bob for apples, keep this in mind: they float because they are 25 percent air!