Just pour hot water on an apple, and you can check if it is safe or contains preservatives that are dangerous to your health.

1. Why does pouring hot water on an apple help detect poisonous apples?

Most apples are covered with wax. To check if apples contain dangerous preservatives, pour some boiled water over the apples. Wait a moment. If you will see a layer of wax appear, those are the apples that are harmful to your health.

2. How does wax on apples affect human health?

We all know that apples are one of the fruits rich in vitamins, recommended by nutritionists to eat every day.

But worryingly, the apples now on the market are warned to be covered with wax and preservatives.

The apple itself already has a natural protective wax layer. But to increase the “shelf life” of the fruit, the sellers can spray a protective layer of wax on them.

A lot of companies have produced waxes made from natural ingredients such as beeswax, red lac resin, carnauba wax, fatty acids… which are safe for health. However, these preservatives are very expensive.

Therefore, many retailers or gardeners have used wax coatings that are full of fungicides, bacteria, artificial dyes and preservatives to make the fruit look beautiful and can be stored for a long time.

But industrial dyes themselves can damage the immune system, memory, and cause respiratory problems for humans if exposed.

The information that wax coating can cause cancer in infected people is still controversial.

3. How to remove wax from apples?

With apples that we buy at the market, there is no confirmation that they are preserved with a natural wax layer, especially when their price is also “average”. Therefore, to ensure the safety of your family, in addition to buying apples at reputable establishments, you should follow the steps below to remove some of the toxic substances before eating:

– Put the apples you bought in a small bowl, pour in a spoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a little warm water.

– Roll the apples evenly in the above mixture. Then use a very soft toothbrush and gently scrub the outside of the apple skin to remove all the wax layer that preserves the apple skin.

Remember to peel the apples when eating, even if the wax layer has been removed.

How to use and preserve apples to ensure safety and quality

– It’s advisable to buy apples at reputable, branded import stores or buy them in large supermarkets. Avoid buying on the sidewalk, street vendors who do not know the origin and source of the apples.

– When buying apples, if you eat them right away, wash them thoroughly before peeling them. After peeling the apples, to avoid the apples from turning brown, soak them in warm water mixed with a little lemon juice. This will help the apples retain their color longer and stay fresh for many hours.

– If you want to preserve them for a long time, wrap them in a perforated plastic bag, tie them tightly and put them in the refrigerator.

Note: Chinese apples are usually round, have a smooth, shiny skin and are carefully wrapped in foam mesh. If you pay attention, you will see that when you peel off the foam mesh, there will be many fine white particles on the skin, sometimes there are thin, white, opaque or distinct layers of film, which are caused by the evaporation and condensation of preservatives.