With Rosh Hashanah right around the corner, apples dipped in honey will soon be on our dinner tables – a traditional symbol for a sweet new year.
Even without honey, apples make a delicious snack any time. They're a good source of healthy antioxidants and pectin – a form of fiber that's good for lowering cholesterol.
As for honey, why not try something new this year and choose a dark flavorful variety, like eucalyptus, avocado, buckwheat or chestnut? These tend to be higher in antioxidants than the milder and more common clover and citrus honeys.
Is honey good for you?
Preliminary studies suggest that antioxidants in honey may help speed up metabolism and aid in weight loss. But don't get too excited. The calories in honey (64 per tablespoon) add up quickly, so you can easily gain weight by eating too much.
Though there's no clinical evidence that honey can help relieve allergy symptoms, it just might help soothe a cough. When tested against over-the-counter cough syrups, honey was more effective! Just don't give honey to children younger than a year old, as it contains bacteria than can produce botulism poisoning in an infant's immature immune system.
In ancient times, honey was used as a wound dressing. Research is now confirming its effectiveness.
Nutrition and medicine aside, I recommend eating more apples and trying at least one new variety of honey this year, just because they taste so good!
שנה טובה ומתוקה
A Happy and Sweet New Year to Everyone
nice sweet post!
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in very homogenized post-WWII America, there was only one type of honey. Then in the mid-70's we were on shlichut to London and someone gave us a Rosh Hashannah gift of a variety of honeys. That was my first chance to taste honey flavors!
Our bodies need something sweet, and my Shabbat dessert is baked apples. No sugar added, since baking concentrates the natural sweetness.
Thanks for the nutrition boost for apples and honey!
ReplyDeleteChana, do you have any recommendations what to do with a quince?
I grew up with a quince tree in the yard and my mother used to make preserves. I've seen recipes where they're used in stews with meat. Sephardi cooks often make a compote with them. They do need to be cooked and usually require sweetening. Here's a link to some quince recipes:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=quince&x=0&y=0