Apple Skin

Yesterday we've talk about wax on apple, and this evening we was talking about apple skin. There is saying that says apple skin with wax is really harmful for the body and one should never eat apple nowadays without peeling of its skin. We've burst the myth about wax on apple yesterday, and today is about apple skin.

My mummy says that the best of apple lies on its skin, well, true or too good to be true? After some conversation with my brother and my wife after dinner, I decided to continue on apple skin here. Just after a few clicks on google, I've got many sites about it, it was mentioned that:

Apples are a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber such as pectin actually helps to prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, thus reducing the incident of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The insoluble fiber in apples provides bulk in the intestinal tract, holding water to cleanse and move food quickly through the digestive system.

It is a good idea to eat apples with their skin. Almost half of the vitamin C content is just underneath the skin. Eating the skin also increases insoluble fiber content. Most of an apple's fragrance cells are also concentrated in the skin and as they ripen, the skin cells develop more aroma and flavor.

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/nutrition.html

And of course, some cross references as well suggest the same thing. There also sites that breakdown its nutritional values and some tips about picking, keeping and serving apples.
Apple skin is a source of healthy fiber (which you might also find it in your snacks) and great source of antioxidants as well.

As far as what I've experience, I don't really agree with the picking apple tips which says the shiny ones mean better, as I like royal gala le crunch much more than Washington, but its appearance is not shiny as compare to Washington ones, not to mention also the pinky apples which tastes great but doesn't shine at all.

So... my smarty mummy is right!

Wax on Apples

So, this will be my first post of the year, a lazy blogger that only update his blog once a blue moon and during the time when he is too free or too crazy.

We have some Washington apples in the refrigerator and that's those shiny appealing apples as compare to other pinky ones from another side of the world. A couple of days ago, my brother was given a task to cut the apples into pieces for our dessert. Well, at the end, he peel off all the skins, including the pinky ones.

The fact is that, there's wax on the apples, you can easily verify that by using a sharp knife to strap on the apple's skin. And voila, that's wax!.. looks scary. I wonder if these wax are really harmful and whether it is eatable and whether it is natural in the first place!

Nowadays, Google is my best friend to find out anything from the deep sea to the sky above. So I've found this article on Washington apple website. It says that those wax are actually eatable and safe (as approved by the US FDA), usually are carnauba or shellac (what? I suppose it is not the shellac that we used on wood furnitures). It does mentioned also that there is natural wax on the apple as well.

Interesting enough, when I'm doing a cross reference for verification on the Apple wax on wikipedia, in the wiki there isn't even a word on "wax". So, I suppose there isn't any wax or maybe only valid on some specific species and after all it is very insignificant. Interesting fact from the wiki that's apple seed is toxic, but not to worries, you probably won't be able to eat that many apples (with its seeds) that will make the toxic level enough to kill you.

And China is the largest producer of apple, follow by US Washington and the rest. Just to mention also about my apple "experiences", personally I love Royal Gala ones, they tends to have good apples. We've ate Japan apple before, which was bought from Cold Storage, probably the cheapest Japan apple, but still very pricey, it taste great, and I wonder if they "inject" honey in there.

That's all my sharing on apples for the day! and remember, an apple a day, keeps the doctor away! (ofcourse, too good to be true, but it do make your healthier)

ps... interesting enough, there's wax apple, now only I came to know it is called wax apple in english. (I like wax apple too, but good ones are pricey also).