If this looks like the perfect apple, it might be too good to be true. Apples in their natural state are not glossy. So if you see an apple like this red delicious, don’t take a bite just yet. It might be like snacking on a candle because some apples are coated with wax to keep them fresh longer. It’s called “food-grade wax” but I’m not buying it. That’s like saying, “food-grade dirt.” It won’t kill you but do you want to swallow a spoonful of dirt? How about a spoonful of wax in your stomach?

I love red delicious apples and bought a few last week. When I ate the first one, I had a hard time chewing the skin. I couldn’t remember red delicious skin being so hard to eat. Then I remembered reading about wax on apples and I was sure this apple was coated so I decided to try removing it. I scraped it with a small paring knife and was shocked to see how much wax came off this small 3-inch apple.

Imagine how much is on a big apple! So when you see a glossy, shiny apple, it just takes a second to scrape it once with a knife to test for wax. No wax? Enjoy the apple and the skin, which has more nutrients than the inside. If you see wax, you can scrape it off with a knife or you can drop the apple into boiling water for 5 seconds to melt the wax, then rub it off with a coarse towel. Keep the wax away and eat an apple a day. 🍎