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Apples are a high-fiber fruit with insoluble
cellulose and lignin in the peel and soluble pectins in the flesh. Their
most important vitamin is vitamin C. One fresh apple of 2.5 inches in
diameter, eaten with the skin, has about 3 g dietary fiber and 8 mg
vitamin C. The sour taste of all immature apples and some varieties,
even when ripe, comes from the acid. As an apple ripens, the amount of
acid declines and the apple becomes sweeter.
Apples seeds contain amygdalins, a naturally
occurring cyanide/sugar compound that degrades into hydrogen cyanide.
While accidentally swallowing an apple seed once in a while is not a
serious hazard for an adult, cases of human poisoning after eating apple
seeds have been reported, and swallowing only a few seeds may be lethal
for a child.
The most nutritious way to serve this fruit
is when it is fresh and unpared. This will take advantage of the fiber
in the peel and preserve the vitamin C, which is destroyed by the heat
of cooking.
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