“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This phrase was first coined in 1913. It was based on a Pembrokeshire proverb that originated in 1866 that said, “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” The Celts buried apples with the dead as food for the afterlife, as apples were associated with rebirth. It was a practice that went as far back 7000 years and apples were found in the tombs that were over 5000 years old, according to the fossilised records. In Judeo-Christian tradition, the apple tree was associated with knowledge, immortality, temptation and the fall of man. Crab apples are the only apples native to Ireland and the British Isles. Traditionally, crab apples were made into wine, cider and juice, but was also used to flavour mead. The apple tree has also been regarded as “The Tree of Love.” In certain cultures, the fruit was fed to the gods and goddesses to keep them young and healthy. The apple tree produces fruits that can be stored for a very long time when placed in a cool dry environment. This store of apples was eaten during the year and more importantly, during the long, cold winter days. Crab apple jelly was made and used as a delicious spread or in desserts. Apple trees planted in gardens were seen as a sign of prosperity, abundance, and love. It has also been associated to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. In ancient times the apple tree was said to be the gift given to Hera by Gaia, the goddess of earth, when she was marrying Zeus. Apples are highly nutritious as they are packed with vitamins and , as the saying goes, an apple a day…