Properties:

Sweet and slightly sour in flavor, cool in nature, it is related to the channels of the spleen, stomach and lung.

Functions:

Promotes the production of yin (body fluid) and quenches thirst, moisturizes the lungs, relieves restlessness, removes summer-heat, promotes functional activity of the spleen and the stomach, dispels the effects of alcohol, stops diarrhea.

Applications:

1. To quench thirst and feelings of bothersome heat; overeat:

Eat a fresh apple.

2. For deficiency of spleen yin, indigestion, diarrhaea:

Drink a cup of apple juice.

3. For constipation:

Eat several fresh apples.

Dosage and Administration:

The apple is eaten fresh, pounded to get its juice or cooked in a variety of ways or dried for later use. It is frequently used as a pastry filling, the apple pie being perhaps the archetypal American dessert. Especially in Europe, fried apples characteristically accompany certain dishes of sausage or pork.

When getting apples ready to serve, scrub them with a food-grade cleanser to remove any wax and residue from the peel. Because apples oxidize and turn brown when they are cut, they should be prepared just before serving. To minimize oxidation when using apples in dishes like salads, dip them in a bowl containing one part lemon juice and three parts water. Cooking apples stops the oxidation process.

Most apples hold their shapes and flavors and can be used in baking. With a little lemon juice to protect them from discoloration, apples add a crunchy texture to fruit salads.

Apple butter and applesauce are simple and delicious ways to use overripe apples. Simply cut apples into cubes and simmer on the stovetop with a little water and cinnamon. For variety, add raisins, rhubarb, or pears. Apples are a natural way to sweeten cooked cereals, such as oatmeal, and they make wonderful desserts when baked in pies, cakes, muffins, and cobblers. Dried apple slices keep well and make a fine snack.

The fruit of some cultivars is rich in pectin and can be used in helping other fruits to set when making jam, etc.

Although we are drawn to apples by their appearance, it's a good idea to shop by touch instead. Avoid wrinkled, bruised, or soft apples. Apples do best stored in the refrigerator, preferably away from strong-smelling foods. Unbruised apples, properly handled and stored, can keep for up to three months. Outside the refrigerator, apples ripen ten times faster. Cooked, pureed apples can be frozen for longer storage.

An edible oil can be obtained from the seed. It would only really be viable to use these seeds as an oil source if the fruit was being used for some purpose such as making cider and then the seeds could be extracted from the remaining pulp.

Cautions on Use:

All members of this genus contain the toxin hydrogen cyanide in their seeds and possibly also in their leaves, but not in their fruits. Hydrogen cyanide is the substance that gives almonds their characteristic taste but it should only be consumed in very small quantities. Apple seeds do not normally contain very high quantities of hydrogen cyanide but, even so, should not be consumed in very large quantities. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.