Skip to main content

You probably believe this myth about apples (but we’ve got the truth)

You've been eating apples wrong your whole life

Even with all the shade thrown at them by Disney movies and Biblical temptresses, apples have a pretty squeaky-clean reputation. All that “apple a day” stuff and generations of wholesome teacher gifts have made us respect the apple for not only its fresh, crisp deliciousness, but also its bountiful health benefits. But even with all the love the apple gets, there is a part of them we just love to hate. In just a few bites, the apple goes from something pure and fresh and delightful, to the very thing fly-ridden cartoon garbage is made of. The apple core. But did you know the core doesn’t actually exist? That’s right. Your whole life is a lie. Apples don’t have cores.

Stacy Spensley/Flickr

The center of the apple is where the seeds are housed, so somewhere along humanity’s timeline, we just started eating around them, and thus, the myth of the core was born. But if you slice an apple in half horizontally, you’ll find that — apart from the seeds and their slightly fibrous casings — there’s no actual core to be found. The fleshy center is every bit as tender and tasty as the rest of the fruit. So what happened? Where did we go wrong?

Part of the issue probably stemmed from discovering that apple seeds contain cyanide. Which, admittedly, is something we shouldn’t be consuming in high quantities. However, the amount of cyanide apple seeds contain is so minuscule that you’d have to eat upwards of 20 apples in one sitting, and really chomp down on all of those seeds (roughly 150) to be even slightly at risk of poisoning. As most apples contain just a few seeds each, and no one’s too focused on chewing those seeds to pulp anyway, there’s really nothing to worry about.

For the record, the stems are perfectly edible as well, but probably won’t do much for you in the way of taste. So feel free to twist off and toss it, or just chomp it down with the rest. Either way, the next time you reach for an apple, feel free to eat the whole thing.

Editors' Recommendations

Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
We’ve all been eating our Chinese takeout wrong
This sneaky little Chinese takeout secret has been hiding in plain sight for years
chinese takeout boxes designed to be unfolded 5165242198 2b07cb7659 k

Mind-blowing life hack videos are everywhere on social media — videos that often humble us, teaching us how to properly do something we've been doing incorrectly our entire lives. TikTok and YouTube are full of videos entitled things like "Things I Didn't Know Until My 30s," and they're hugely popular. And for good reason. Because of videos like this, I now know how to keep paint from collecting on lids, open a beer without a bottle opener, and countless other useful life hacks that I actually use all the time. Some of these hacks are truly life-changing. It's hard to believe that I used to constantly struggle with plastic wrap for example. But, as an avid lover of Chinese takeout, this one might be my favorite.

Did you know that your Chinese takeout box is meant to be unfolded out into a plate? It's true. The beloved unique box shape we've all come to know and love is made that way for a very specific reason, and it's been hiding right under our noses this entire time.

Read more
Everything you need to know about the bone broth diet
The bone broth diet: Your complete guide
Bowl of bone broth.

Focus on cleaner eating and healthier lifestyles is growing alongside the development of new and different trendy diets. Each of these diets claims to have life-changing benefits, from weight loss to detoxing and everything in between.

If you are familiar with the Paleo lifestyle, then you'll also be familiar with bone broth and intermittent fasting. Recently, a diet has emerged that blends these two popular elements into a plan that claims to take weight loss to a new level.

Read more
Pinsa, pizza’s Roman cousin, is about to take over: Everything you need to know
In need of a new pizza style? Well, pinsa is here — the Italian version that tends to be lighter, crispier, and so delicious
Some pinsa from Montesacro.

Pizza is an artform with a countless variety of artists and styles. So far, we've eaten our weight in everything from Columbus-style pizza to its tasty toast sibling. Turns out, we're still making new discoveries — or at least unearthing old and forgotten styles and making them famous again.

What's on the pizza plate right at this moment? Pinsa, the Roman version based on some age-old techniques but that's only just recently gaining popularity. Pinsa pizza is enjoying a moment, certainly, but what exactly is it?

Read more