Why Leaves Change

     Every autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colors. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer to winter.
     During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the tree's growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. This extraordinary chemical absorbs from sunlight the energy that is used in transforming carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates, such as sugars and starch.
     Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange pigments, carotenes and xanthophyll pigments which, for example, give the orange color to a carrot. Most of the year these colors are masked by great amounts of green coloring.
Chlorophyll Breaks Down

     But in the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
     At the same time, other chemical changes may occur, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments. Some mixtures give rise to the reddish and purplish fall colors of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs, while others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange.
     The autumn foliage of some trees shows only yellow colors. Others, like many oaks, display mostly browns. All these colors are due to the mixing of varying amounts of the chlorophyll residue and other pigments in the leaf during the fall season.
Other Changes Take Place
     As the fall colors appear, other changes are taking place. At the point where the stem of the leaf is attached to the tree, a special layer of cells develops and gradually severs the tissues that support the leaf. At the same time, the tree seals the cut, so that when the leaf is finally blown off by the wind or falls from its own weight, it leaves behind a leaf scar.
     Most of the broad-leaved trees in the North shed their leaves in the fall. However, the dead brown leaves of the oaks and a few other species may stay on the tree until growth starts again in the spring. In the South, where the winters are mild, some of the broad-leaved trees are evergreen; that is, the leaves stay on the trees during winter and keep their green color.
Only Some Trees Lose Leaves
     Most of the conifers -- pines, spruces, firs, hemlocks, cedars, etc. -- are evergreen in both the North and South. The needle- or scale-like leaves remain green or greenish the year round, and individual leaves may stay on for two to four years or more.
Weather Affects Color Intensity
     Temperature, light, and water supply have an influence on the degree and the duration of fall color. Low temperatures above freezing will favor anthocyanin formation, producing bright reds in maples. However, early frost will weaken the brilliant red color. Rainy and/or overcast days tend to increase the intensity of fall colors. The best time to enjoy the autumn color would be on a clear, dry and cool (not freezing) day.
     Enjoy the color; it only occurs for a brief period each fall.

Foods We Crave This Fall-Hot Cocoa

     A favorite drink at concession stands during chilly night football games or after coming inside from the cold, hot cocoa is one of the most craved drinks this fall, according to our Facebook fans.
     Christine A. Watts said, "Mmm, mmm, nothing better than homemade hot cocoa." Lora Dillard Bunch agreed that hot chocolate is "yum yum." Rachael Bregman just said, "I totally crave hot chocolate!"
     Hot chocolate paired with different flavors and edibles is a fall favorite for several, including Theresa Russenberger Mabray, who craves "mint chocolate cocoa," and Paula Sue Guerrero, who takes her hot chocolate with a side of cookies.
     When and where you drink hot cocoa also plays a part in the seasonal appeal of the drink. Patti Langan said she loves to "drink hot chocolate at night in my jammies." Terri T-Bird Crawford Hardesty enjoys "hot cocoa on a crisp fall evening," while Wayne N Mary White prefers his hot chocolate "sitting by the fireplace." There's no wrong way to drink a cocoa!

Foods We Crave This Fall-Oven Bake

     Now that is it "cool enough to turn on the oven" as Bucky Eads previously commented, many people are craving foods that are baked or roasted in the oven. Warm and hearty, these dishes are called comfort foods for a reason.
     One of the most popular oven-baked dishes craved by our Facebook fans is macaroni and cheese. Pasta noodles, creamy sauce, and cheesy goodness make for a delicious side dish or even main course when the temperatures start to drop.
     Rhonda Thorne Homemade was not shy about letting us know she was craving macaroni and cheese. Rachel Veitch rejoiced that it is "homemade mac and cheese season!" She added excitedly, "That's what I'm making tonight!" Hey, no fair Rachel -- that just made us hungry.
     Several others are craving macaroni and cheese with other oven-baked favorites to create their ideal meal for fall. Both Robert Weeks and Lisa Kerbein Dever crave a dinner of meatloaf and macaroni and cheese. Jenny Williamson Weiskopff Barrows loves her mac and cheese with a beef roast. Both options sound delicious to us!
     Baked acorn squash was another dish popular among our respondents. Melissa Henry told us, "I am craving acorn squash baked with butter and honey, filled with brown rice and mushrooms and topped lightly with mozzarella cheese." Sounds like quite a dish, Melissa! Pam Fitzpatrick DuRand enjoys a slightly sweeter version that includes "baked acorn squash halves with butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and cinnamon."
     Roasts and oven meals were another popular response. Lisa Runz Flynn looks forward to "roast dinners" this fall. Patricia Ballard will take "any one pot meal fresh from the oven." And Jo M Schmidt wants "roast pork with bread dumplings! Yum!" Yum is right, Jo.
     A few have already started tackling their seasonal cravings. Charlie Crabtree said he started early this year with "a pork roast with collard greens." Michelle Sigler was also quick on the seasonal palate shift and "made a huge roast with veggies and seasoning other night." Now Michelle, why weren't we invited to dinner?
     Lisa Derado Weaver loves combining one of her favorite sports with an oven-baked meal. "There's nothing better than cooking a roast beef or a turkey in the oven on a cool football Sunday." Just don't get food on the remote, Lisa!

Foods We Crave This Fall-Apple Cider

     With fresh apples in season and apples being a most-craved food for fall, apple cider logically follows suit. Whether served warm or cold, plain or spiked, no other drink complements the season better than this fall favorite.
     Patti Miller Mangen likes her apple cider warm, and "plain or doctored with rum." Gabe Haas also enjoys the drink but has a difference of opinion on the serving temperature: "I prefer cold." Another voter for hot cider, Mark R Anderson, said he likes his "with caramel!" Joanne Barbetta was in line with the large number of respondents voting for this drink, saying, "Oh, I couldn't agree more! I have been craving apple cider now for days!"
     Opinions of serving options aside, many agreed that apple cider is a delicious drink for this time of year. For a few respondents, choosing to complement the drink with seasonally-flavored foods takes the experience to the next level. Michele Harris was excited thinking about enjoying "shortbread cookies with pumpkin icing and hot caramel apple cider drinks on the patio among the 'color-fall' leaves on a sunny afternoon!" Apple cider also goes well with warm cinnamon sugar donuts, as Sandee Faasse Russo and other Facebook fans informed us.
     For those like Matthew John Lewis, apple cider is a family tradition:
     Every fall around Halloween we go to the cider mill in Upstate New York where they press apples using a press that is over 100 years old. They take the apples and press them in a press that is powered by the river, and we get ice cold crisp apple cider. Then in the same mill we go upstairs where they are frying fresh homemade doughnuts. So, fresh cold cider and fresh hot doughnuts is what I am craving.

Foods We Crave This Fall-Pumpkin

     "When the leaves start changing into their beautiful colors and the temperatures start falling, I really enjoy pumpkin pie with a hint of cinnamon," said Facebook Fan Christopher Crow. "[It is] a very good treat for the most colorful season of the year."
     Pumpkin was by far the most craved food for fall, according to our Facebook poll. It is not surprising, as pumpkins are an icon of fall. They are used both for decoration and to make a variety of delicious foods; they are carved with scary faces at Halloween and pumpkin pies are a traditional dessert for Thanksgiving dinner and other holiday meals. But pumpkins aren't limited to Jack o' Lanterns and pies.
     Facebook Fan Kerri Fox made us salivate when she said she was craving a pumpkin roll and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, which taste like "sweet heaven." Rachel Lorenzo can relate to Kerri's craving: "We always take the kids to our local pumpkin patch, and they sell the yummiest pumpkin cake roll with cream cheese filling ever!"
     Mary Margaret Cooper Commodari said she likes "anything with pumpkin in its name!" That means she would absolutely love Faith Davis-Vest's picks: pumpkin donuts and pumpkin pie spiced coffee. Angie Louviere Adams enjoys traditional favorites pumpkin pie and baked pumpkin seeds. The thought of them made her so excited that she added, "Woohoo! Love fall!"
     While certain areas of U.S. are starting to feel the changing of the seasons, others are still in summer mode. Tyler Atnip-Woodworth said he craves pumpkin ice cream during the seasonal transition. "It's a nice in-between, recognizing that the late summer heat isn't quite behind us, but the gourds are among us!" Sarah E. Evans told us she was craving chocolate-glazed pumpkin pie cheesecake. "I actually made one this past weekend, and the whole family enjoyed it! It truly brings fall to you when it's so hot here in Texas!"