AppleDelicious and crunchy, apple fruit is one of the most popular and favorite fruits among the health conscious, fitness lovers who firmly believe in the concept of “health is wealth.” This wonderful fruit is packed with rich phyto-nutrients that, in the true sense, indispensable for optimal health. Certain antioxidants in apple have several health promoting and disease prevention properties, and thereby, truly justifying the adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Apples are obtained from medium-sized tree belonging to the Rosaceae family. The apple tree is thought to have originated in nutrient-rich mountain ranges of Kazakhstan. Today, it is being cultivated in many parts of the world including the US as an important commercial crop.
Apple fruit features oval or pear shape. Its outer peel comes in different hues and colors depending upon the cultivar type. Internally, its crispy, juicy pulp is off-white to cream in color, and has a mix of mild sweet and tart flavor. Its seeds are bitter in taste, and therefore, inedible.
Hundreds of varieties of apples that are meant to be used either as table fruits or dessert and cooking apples grown inside the US and worldwide.
Selecting apples
When selecting apples, look for fruit that is well colored for its variety. Red overcolor is not as important as the background color, which is the best visual indicator of ripeness. The background color (the area not covered by red pigment on red varieties) should be greenish yellow, indicating that the apple was picked at full maturity. Apples with a dark green background color may have been picked before they were fully ripe, and will not be as flavorful, although they may last longer in storage. Yellow apples have no red pigment covering their background color, so maturity is easier to judge.
Apples with punctures or bruises should be avoided or used first, since they will not store as well. Surface blemishes that do not penetrate the skin, such as russetting, have very little influence on fruit quality or storage life. Although apples are fairly durable fruits, take care to avoid bruising them.
There are two types of apples: eating apples and culinary (cooking) apples. Eaters are sweeter, with the most interesting flavour, as their sugars are balanced by an edge of acidity. Culinary apples are larger and more acidic. Their sourness mellows upon cooking, so you may not need to add as much sugar as you thought to a dish. A cooking apple will become more like an eater in storage because the acids lessen over time. Some apples are termed dual-purpose, and these are best for cooking when young and for eating when older. The most popular British culinary apple is the Bramley apple.
Apple Culinary Uses
Apple cider,
Caramel apples,
Apple pie,
Salad topping,
Apple dressing,
Apple butter,
Keeping meat juicy,
Apple jam,
Apple bread,
Apple zucchini bread,
Apple juice,
Apple smoothie,
Apple shake,
Apple cake,
Apple muffin,
Apple puree,
Apple preserves,
Apple curd,
Candied apple, Apple
enchilada( also
see),
Apple fritter,
Apple filling,
Apple donut,
Apple fries,
Apple french toast ,
Apple filo,
Apple tart (also see
Here and
Here) ,
Apple tarte tatin,
Apple tea cake,
Apple upside down cake,
Apple crumble ( also
see ),
Apple ice cream (also
see ),
Apple sauce,
Toffee apple,
Caramel Apple empanadas,
Apple rings,
Apple risotto,
Apple rose (also
see),
Apple rhubarb crisp,
Apple strudel,
Apple relish,
Apple Chutney,
Apple vinegar,
Apple vodka,
Apple wine,
Apple yogurt,
Apple Danish pastry (also
see ),
Apple pancake (also
see ),
Apple kuchen ( also see
Here and
Here),
Apple kheer,
Apple kugel,
Apple cobbler ( also
see ),
Apple cookie (also
see ),
Apple coogan,
Apple dip,
Apple quinoa,
Apple dumpling ( also
see ),
Apple pandowdy ( also
see ),
apple brandy,
Apple galette,
Apple granola ( also
see ),
Apple gravy (also
see ),
Apple halwa,
Apple in crescent roll,
Apple jelly (also
see ),
Apple liqueur (also
see ),
Apple leather (also
see ),
Apple martini,
Apple moonshine,
Apple nachos (also
see ),
Apple turnovers (also see ).
Health benefits of Apple:Apples make your teeth whiter, One of the lesser known
benefits of eating an apple is that it’s great for the skin. It is rich in
Vitamin C and antioxidants which prevent signs of ageing, wrinkles and keeps your skin glowing. Eating an apple before having a meal, can be a great way to eat less. Containing just 50-80 calories, an apple does not have any
fat or
sodium. A Brazilian study even found that women who ate apples before their meals, lost 33% more weight.
Flavonoids, a chemical present in
apples can help destroy cancer cells. However, you must make sure that you do not peel the apple, since most of the flavonoids are present in its skin.
Even though
diarrhoea and constipation are two very different stomach ailments, apples can help counter both. The fibre present in apples can pull
water out of your colon in case of constipation, and absorb excess water in case of diarrhoea. Being rich in so many
nutrients, apples can boost your immune system and keep you free from infections. In particular, a flavonoid called quercetin has been shown to significantly improve one’s immune system.
A lot of people are confused as to what they should eat before exercising. Eating an apple can be a great option. It has been shown that apples
boost endurance by making more oxygen available to the lungs. Eating an apple everyday can prevent the decline of a neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine thus
improving your memory. A study also found that this property of an apple,
can slow the mental decline found in people with Alzheimer’s.
Read More at
Wikipedia.
Also See
Mango,
Banana,
Apple Cutter.
Recipes using Apple see
Here and
Here.
