Apples

Wednesday, November 16th, 2016 | crankit

You’re the Apple Of my Eye

Malus sylvestris, Malus pumila

History

Probably a native of the Caucasus Mountains of western Asia and Turkey where carbonised apples dating to 6500 BCE have been found (almost as old as the ones in the supermarket!). The English word ‘apple’ comes from the Italian province Abela, where the modern apple is thought to have first appeared. A member of the Rose family, the apple has a mystical history described in many popular tales. Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden for eating one, Snow White ate one and fell fast asleep, they’re the healing fruit of the Arabian tribes, bestow immortality on the Turks, and Greek mythology attributes the ‘Apple of Discord’ as the source of the feud leading to the Trojan War, when a golden apple was given to the gods and goddesses labelled ‘For the Fairest’ by the goddess of hate, Eris, and they couldn’t agree who it was for!

Source of

Pectin (for toxin elimination), malic and tartaric acids (to help neutralize the acid by-products of indigestion and help cope with excess protein or rich fatty foods), carotene, vitamin C, potassium, ellagic acid.

Good for

The immune system, detoxification, digestion, heart and circulation. Especially good for constipation, diarrhoea, lowering of cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar and is anti-viral. May also help prevent cancer.

Organic-vs-Non-organic

Non-organic apples are sprayed many times while growing, specifically with fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and growth regulators to speed up or slow down maturation levels. Organophosphates widely used. After harvest, usually treated with wax, which often contains preservatives or fungicides.

Allowed to ripen on the tree and picked at maturity, organic apples have a much higher vitamin content. Orchards grazed by livestock will be naturally fertilised, yielding a richer mineral content in the fruit.

An apple a day
keeps the doctor away.