Ample Apples

Winter has brought that warm scent and amiable flavor of apples yet again. The old saying, “ to eat an apple going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread’ is an apt. Apples are crisp, white-fleshed fruit with a red, yellow or green skin. The apple is actually a member of the rose family and has a moderately sweet, refreshing flavor. Golden and Red delicious apples are mild and sweet, while Fuji apples are usually eaten raw.

Fame from remote past

The apple derives its name from the Latin pomum, meaning fruit in English, and is classified as a pome, a fruit that has many tiny seeds within a core at the center.The apple tree, which originally came from Eastern Europe and southwestern Asia, has spread to most temperate regions of the world. Apples have played an important role in history.

• In the Bible, the forbidden fruit of knowledge in the Garden of Eden was considered to be an apple.
• In Greek Mythology, apples are associated with the god Apollo. The origin of the apple can be traced back 4,000 years to the Middle East.
• Apples have played a key role in scientific discovery as well. It was the falling of an apple that led Sir Isaac Newton to discover the principle of gravity.

Generally harvested from mid August to November, apples are celebrated with festivities of every kind.The harvest period for apples varies from one variety to another. For example, Jonathan apples are normally harvested in mid to late September. The harvest season for Red delicious apple is normally late September to early October.

Nutrition Quotient

We have all heard the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Yet, how many of us really know the benefits of eating apples.

• Apples are a good source of dietary fibre, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. In fact, just one medium apple provides about 3 grams of fiber or more than 10% of the fiber you need for the whole day.
• A medium apple provides over 10% (6.3 mg) of your daily Vitamin C needs.
• Medium apples contain approximately 150 mg of potassium, almost 5% of your recommended daily value
• They are a good source of antioxidants.

Healing Bite

This little red fruit is packed with a number of therapeutic benefits.

• Builds bones
• Lowers cholesterol
• Prevents lung, breast and liver cancer
• Helps manage diabetes
• Weight loss

Watch Out

To get that fresh flavour of apples keep in mind the following tips

• Never buy apples that have not been kept cold since they can be over-ripe in a few days.
• Apples should be hard. If you can dent an apple with your finger, don’t buy it.
• Keep your apples refrigerated. If not, it will decay fast.
  To prevent browning, rub the cut surfaces with a mixture of lemon juice and water.

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