Apples just so good for you

An apple a day ...

There is nothing like a fresh, new season's apple. I really look forward to apple season, as I am considered one of those "fussy apple eaters". I relish a fresh crisp, crunchy apple. A hint of floweriness and I'm passing it on. My daughter's horse never complains!
With the new apple season upon us it is a great time to appreciate the humble apple for its wide range of culinary and medicinal uses. There may be something to the old wives tale, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Apples belong to the Rosaceae (Rose) family and originate from Europe. Worldwide there are thousands of different varieties - everything from large to dwarf trees, providing fruit suitable for eating and/or cooking. It is great to see heritage varieties now rediscovered - including our locally health renown, Monty Surprise.
Fresh apples are a great source of vitamin C. They can also provide vitamins A and B, a range of minerals (including potassium), insoluble fibre (if the skin is eaten), soluble fibre (pectin), fruit acids and fructose. Apples contain approximately 85 per cent water.
Medicinally, unripe/green and ripe apples are used for different purposes. Unripe or green apples are cool, moist, sour and astringent. They have antiseptic properties and are traditionally used as treatment for diarrhoea and motion sickness. Moist and sweet ripe apples can be helpful against constipation, with red apples being traditionally recognised for their blood and restorative properties.
Raw or grated ripe apples have a "cleansing" effect on the body and a cooling soothing action. This can be useful for inflammatory conditions such as indigestion, arthritis, gout, gastric ulceration and urinary system infections.
However, some individuals find raw apple is too cooling and upsets their digestive system, causing bloating and pain. If this is the case for you, try eating your apples stewed, cooked or grated. Stewed apple is a traditional food for invalids and well suited to nourishing sick babies and children.
Whether eaten raw or cooked, pectin, a soluble fibre in apples, has been shown to bind to excess cholesterol and bile salts, thereby potentially reducing blood cholesterol and the risk of arteriosclerosis and gall stones. I don't think it's a coincidence that traditionally roast pork (a rich meat not easily digested) is served with stewed apples.
Pectin is also known to bind to toxins and heavy metals and remove them from the body. Diabetics or those with blood sugar regulation problems benefit from pectin as it helps to control blood sugar levels.
Apple tea makes a refreshingly healing drink, particularly for those suffering from colds, colic and digestive discomfort. Prepare this by using fresh raw apples, chopped with their skins on, and pour boiling water over it to infuse, covered, for at least 10 minutes.
Apple cider vinegar is another well respected health food derived from apples, which is claimed to be helpful for an array of issues. So much so that I will cover it in more depth in another column.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away ..."