I will give my love an apple without any core; I will give my love a house without any door; I will give my love a palace wherein he may be And he may unlock it without any key. My head is the apple without any core; My mind is the house without any door; My heart is the palace wherein he may be And he may unlock it without any key.
– words from a traditional English folk song. Now is peak apple season and the abundance of homegrown apples is welcome as autumn comes into its own, days grow shorter and cooler and winter peeps around the corner.
This is the time of year to try out a different apple from the many that are available. Did you know that there are over 7500 known apple varieties, 2500 of which were developed in the UK?
The names of apples alone create a wonderful litany – Greensleeves, Egremont Russet, Fiesta, Keswick Codlin, Lord Lambourne, Worcester Pearmain. And that’s just the ‘eaters’ or dessert apples! Add in cooking apples and cider apples and you get Bramleys Seedlings, Allington Pippin and the delightfully-named Brown Snout and Crimson King.
It’s often said that, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ and apples have long been valued for their healing properties. As early as 8000BC apples were cultivated in the Nile, Tigris and Indus river valleys.
The Latin name for an apple is malum which also means ‘evil.’ This is believed to be the reason that the biblical Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden was an apple tree. An apple in the hand of Eve when she tempts Adam suggests mischief and evil, whereas when pictured in the hand of Christ, the apple symbolizes the fruit of life and salvation.
Apples, particularly their skins, are an excellent source of antioxidants, which are believed to prevent damage to cells and tissues and help defend the body from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and even possibly Alzheimer’s disease. It is thought that the flavonoids in apples help protect against allergens and viral infections and improve lung function.
Apples store well with care and provide a good source of fresh fruit when the luxuriant salad and vegetable crops of summer months have ceased. Legend has it that magicians such as Merlin and Talesin were said to carry a silver bough taken from the apple tree and hung with bells and ripened fruits. This allowed them to cross between worlds and times. The name ‘Avalon’ is believed to come from an old Irish word meaning ‘the place of apples.’
So relish this wonderful season of apples and enjoy the fact that they really can do you good!
