15 Surprising Uses for Apples

Apples do so much more than keep the doctor away. From ripening other fruits to improving lung function, click through for great ways to use apples, and share your favorites in the comments section! 

Health & Beauty.
1. Improve Lung Health. Apples contain several phytochemcials that are thought to promote lung health. Studies have shown that apples help people suffering from allergies and asthma!
2. Treat Your Skin Right. Apples are a great way to give your skin that glow it deserves. for a great recipe.
3. Boost Your Workout. Squeeze an apple between your thighs the next time you’re doing crunches to add extra challenge to your workout routine.
4. Get Rid of a Migrane. Take a whiff of a green apple the next time you feel a migrane coming on. Studies have shown that the smell of green apples helps ease the pain and shorten the time they last.

Food.
5. Ripen Other Fruits. It may sound strange, but there’s science to back it up! Apples can help other fruits ripen because they naturally emit a gas called ethylene, a hormone that speeds along the ripening process. If you’d like to ripen fruits like bananas, avocados, pears and tomatos, place them in a paper bag with an apple. It’s the same gas that many commercial growers use to ripen these fruits.
6. Keep Baked Goods Moist. Apples give off moisture, so when you’re storing cakes and other baked goods, store them in an airtight container with half an apple. No drying or refrigerating necessary!
7. Soften Brown Sugar. Has that brown sugar turned into a brick? Soften it back up by putting some of the brown sugar, along with an apple slice, into a sealable bag. Your brown sugar will be good as new in a few days.
8. Sweeten Food the Healthy Way. Apples are a great natural alternative to processed sugars. In baking, applesauce is a way to get the taste you love with fewer calories. You can also add some sliced apple to your morning (plain) yogurt or smoothie, and skip that sugar-sweetened stuff all together.

 

Projects.
9. Make Stamps. Watch this video for this clever craft project, making stamps out of apple halves!
10. Make Potpourri. Love the smell of apples? Make some potpourri!  
11. Make Candleholders. Easiest project ever! Make adorable candleholder by coring out the center of an apple and placing a tea candle in the hollowed out part.
12. Make an Easy & Chic Centerpiece. Flowers are so expensive! If you’re planning a wedding or even just having a dinner party, fill a clear vase with some bright green apples.

Pets & Garden.
13. Grow an Apple Tree! If you dry out apple seeds for a few weeks, you can plant them and, perhaps, have your own apple tree one day. There are a lot of caveats to that, though .
14. Give Your Dog a Treat. Many dogs love apples, and they make a great nutritious snack. Just make sure that they don’t eat any of the seeds, and don’t feed them to dogs with kidney problems.
15. Feed the Birds. Apples draw many species of wild birds — put them in your bird feeder and enjoy the show!