Apples are the most popular fruit in the world. Their unpretentiousness allows apple trees to bloom in almost any corner of the world. You can meet a beautiful apple orchard in virtually every country in Europe, as well as in China, the Middle East, America, Australia, Central Asia and Africa.
The healing properties of this fruit are legendary from ancient times. There is even such a proverb: "Whoever eats an apple every day does not visit a doctor." These words perfectly reflect the essence of the useful properties of this product. Due to the huge variety of varieties, storage and preparation methods, you can enjoy the fruits all year long, and not just in the summer. The benefits and harms of apples to the body are not yet fully understood.
Apples have been praised from time immemorial. Not for every person they are useful, but they can even cause serious harm to someone, especially when it comes to acidic varieties.
The benefits of apples depending on color
The color of the fruit depends on the presence of certain pigments. Not only color, but also benefit depends on them. The pigment not only gives a shade, but also indicates the concentration of other active components characteristic of each variety and color:
- Green apples are considered the most healthy. Nutritionists say that green fruits are absorbed by the body much more easily than others. Yellow and red can cause an allergic reaction. Green apples also contain a sufficient amount of acid, which helps digestion. It is also recommended to use green apples for diabetics, since after them blood sugar rises more slowly.
- Red apples are an element of many fairy tales, as they are known for their aesthetic beauty. In advertising, it is most often red varieties that flash, but they are not as useful as green ones. They have less acid and more sugar, which increases the risk of tooth decay.
- Yellow apples are distinguished by their taste, they contain more pectin and less iron compounds. Yellow varieties heal the liver and remove bile.
For health, choose green apples.
The benefits of apples
What are the benefits of sour apples? Fresh fruits (freshly picked from the tree) contain many useful elements that a person needs for normal daily functioning. The most necessary of them are retinol (beta-carotene) and ascorbic acid. Eating apples is recommended raw, since the vitamin C contained in them is destroyed by the slightest thermal effect. Apples also boast of pectin, as well as a low glycemic index.
For those who are losing weight, the most important fact is that apples contain a sufficient dose of flavonoids, which speeds up the metabolism. This has a beneficial effect on those with gout, rheumatism, eczema and many other diseases of the skin and joints.
Apples can even quench your thirst, because they contain 87% of water. Apples are a low-calorie product, per 100 grams contain only 47 calories.
The fruits of apple trees are also used to maintain beauty. From time immemorial, face masks have been prepared from apples, which refresh the skin, give it a healthy and ruddy appearance, protect the outer layers of the dermis from external influences.
What vitamins do sour apples contain?
Any apple is a storehouse of useful elements, including vitamins. The most useful of them are C, B1, B2, P, E, A. Often there is the question of which vitamin is more in the apple, but it is rather difficult to answer, because it all depends on the variety. It is necessary to mention the most important minerals in the composition: iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, boron, iodine, chromium, zinc and many others. These trace elements have a beneficial effect not only on health, but also on the condition of the skin, nails and hair. Do not get rid of the peel, it is in it that such pectins, fiber, and organic acids are useful to humans. Make a choice in favor of green apples, they have much more useful elements than red ones.
Sour
Sour apple varieties are a real find for cooking lovers. They are used to prepare a huge number of delicious dishes: adjika, various sauces and salads, added to pies and so on. Indeed, thanks to acidity, such apples make the taste of the dish brighter and richer, enrich it. Cooks like to add especially acidic fruits to a variety of sauces, which perfectly interact in taste with meat. The most popular acidic varieties are White Bulk, Antonovka, Pink Lady, Bessemyanka. Why are apples sour? These varieties are high in acid.
Variety Bessemyanka
This variety of apples saw the world thanks to the famous Russian breeder - I.V. Michurin The apples themselves are round and small in size, the color is yellow-green, and when exposed to the sun it turns reddish. The pulp has a tart sweet and sour taste.
White filling
Probably one of the most popular varieties of sour apples, and any gardener knows about it, and even just a lover of eating an apple. The fruit is small in size, has a light yellow color. But green (still unripe fruits) have high acidity. Mistresses prefer to squeeze juice from such apples and roll it up for the winter. However, it is fresh fruits that have just been picked from the tree that have the maximum number of beneficial properties.
Antonovka
It is impossible not to mention the queen of sour apples - Antonovka. Despite the fact that the fruits are very acidic, they exude a pleasant aroma. Many gardeners fell in love for the fact that they are stored for a long time and may not deteriorate for three to four months. Eating such fresh apples is quite difficult, as they are very sour. But the fruits are actively used in the preparation of apple jam and adjika.
Harm and contraindications
Nutritionists have always advised their patients to add apples to the diet, most likely, which is why apple diets have become very popular today, which can harm the body. With such a diet, caution should be exercised. Together with apples, a huge amount of fiber and acid enters the body, which can cause colitis, exacerbation of gastritis, ulcers and other diseases of the stomach and intestines. The benefits and harms of apples to the body are unequal, because the product has few contraindications.
Such apples are strictly contraindicated for those who have an increased acidity of the stomach. In this case, it is better to make a choice in favor of sweet fruits so that your health does not worsen.
It is not recommended to eat sour apples before bedtime, as they cause increased flatulence and bloating, which can lead to problems with sleep.
We must not forget that it is necessary to exclude apples from the diet in case of an allergic reaction to the product.
In all other cases, the benefits of the product are immeasurable, fruits will become reliable protectors of your immunity and body. They will give beauty to the skin, excellent well-being and save you from many unpleasant diseases.
Recipes
Fresh sour apples are not to everyone's liking, but there is no substitute for them in cooking. After heat treatment, even the most acidic Antonovka acquires a pleasant tart taste. What to make from sour apples?
Apple pie
The preparation of such a pie takes a minimum of time, and its taste is stunning. We will need: one glass of flour, one glass of sugar, three eggs, three sour apples.
Peel the apples and cut them into cubes. Grease a baking dish with vegetable or butter, you can also use special paper or foil. While the oven is warming up to 180 degrees, beat eggs with a mixer or fork, then add sugar to them and beat again. Gently start adding flour and continue whisking. You should get a creamy dough. The dough is poured into a baking dish for apples and sent to the oven for 25 minutes. Quick and tasty charlotte is ready. And the use of sour apples found.
Apple pancakes
Another simple dish will be a real highlight of the table. For pancakes we need: two sour apples, two tablespoons of sugar, one egg, three tablespoons of flour.
Rubbed and chopped apples with a grater or combine. In apples, add the egg, sugar, flour and mix thoroughly. Pancakes are fried in a well-heated pan for 2-3 minutes on each side until crisp. A quick but delicious meal is ready.