Cooking fruit for the New Year adds a special flavor.

Fruits are a favorite food for many, but in the cold winter, eating them can feel a bit chilly. However, these six fruits are even healthier and more delicious when steamed!

Stepear and Fritillary Bulb Stewed with Rock Sugar

Stepear with Fritillary Bulb and Rock Sugar—Relieves cough, reduces phlegm, and moistens the lungs.

Steamed pears have the effects of clearing heat, moistening the lungs, relieving cough, and reducing phlegm. During the steaming process, other foods or medicinal herbs can also be added to enhance the cough and phlegm-relieving effects. The most common combination is ste pear with fritillary bulb and rock sugar.

Method: Take one large snow pear, cut off the top, remove the core, add 3 grams of fritillary bulb powder and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Cover with the pear top, place in a bowl, and steam for 10 minutes over water. After turning off the heat, drink the resulting soup when the pear is warm, and then eat the pear. Consume once daily for a good cough-relieving effect.

A special reminder: Stepear with fritillary bulb and rock sugar is not suitable for those with a wind-cold cough.

Apple, Lotus Seed, and Tremella Stew

Steamed Apples—Relieves diarrhea and is easy to digest.

Although fruits are rich in nutrients, their cool nature is not suitable for everyone. Some people with a weak spleen and stomach or a delicate constitution may not only find it hard to digest and absorb them but may also experience diarrhea. Steaming fruits not only reduces their cool nature but can also double their therapeutic effects.

When apples are steamed, the pectin, after being cooked, can not only absorb bacteria and toxins but also has an astringent and anti-diarrheal effect and is easier to digest. Slice the apple with the skin on into small pieces, place in a small bowl, and steam for 5 minutes. It can be eaten after slightly cooling.

Water Chestnut, Stepear, and Orange Drink

Heated Oranges—Beauty and skincare without causing internal heat.

Oranges can not only lower blood lipids and cholesterol in the body but also beautify and protect the skin. However, eating too many oranges in the spring can easily cause "internal heat," leading to symptoms like canker sores, dry mouth, a sore throat, and constipation.

Heated oranges are an ideal choice. First, wash 1-2 oranges and soak them in warm water (40°C-50°C) for about 1 minute. Then, dry the oranges until the peel is completely free of moisture and place them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until slightly charred.

This way, the volatile oils, hesperidin, B vitamins, and vitamin C from the orange peel can seep into the orange, achieving the spring health and beauty benefits without causing internal heat.

Orange peel contains volatile oil components that have a mild stimulating effect on the intestines, helping to secrete digestive juices, increase appetite, and has the effect of harmonizing the stomach and strengthening the spleen. In addition, orange peel also has cough-relieving, phlegm-reducing, and dampness-draining effects.

Chinese Yam, Red Date, and Apple Stew

Steamed Red Dates—Strengthens the spleen and stomach, and nourishes the liver and kidneys.

Red dates are rich in protein, fat, sugars, carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin P, as well as nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Their vitamin C content is among the highest in fruits, earning them the reputation of "King of Vitamins." Patients who continuously eat red dates recover three times faster than those who only take vitamin supplements.

However, steamed dates are easier to digest and are very suitable for people with a weak spleen and stomach. For those with qi and blood deficiency or insufficient liver and kidney function, red dates can be steamed together with goji berries and eggs.

Method: Take 5 red dates and a small amount of goji berries, wash and soak them in water until soft. Then, pit the red dates. Take 2 eggs, add an appropriate amount of salt and beat into a liquid. Then add the red dates, goji berries, and cool water, and steam over water until the egg sets. It is then ready to eat.

For ordinary people, red dates can be stewed with Chinese yam.

Method: Cut the red dates in half and dice the Chinese yam. Steam both over water with cool water. Once the water boils, simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Loquat, Pomelo, and Lily Bulb Drink

Stewed Pomelo—Reduces phlegm, lowers internal heat, and aids digestion.

Pomelos are fruits that ripen in the autumn. Because of their thick and easy-to-store peel, they are an ideal choice to eat during the transition from winter to spring. Pomelos are known as the "natural canned fruit." They contain very rich protein, organic acids, vitamins, and essential elements for the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium.

Pomelos also have effects such as strengthening the stomach, regulating qi to reduce phlegm, moistening the lungs and clearing the intestines, nourishing blood and strengthening the spleen. They can promote appetite, treat indigestion, and regulate qi to dissipate stagnation. They can also promote wound healing and have good auxiliary effects on sepsis, etc.

It's easy to get "internal heat" in the spring, and pomelos can lower this heat and prevent mouth ulcers. Eating 100-200 grams of pomelo a day is relatively easy for the body to absorb. The slightly sour taste of pomelo can increase appetite if eaten 1 hour before a meal. You can also choose to eat it hot. Keep the fresh pomelo peel on, remove the pith, add honey, and stew before eating.

Sweet and Sour Fried Hawthorn

Steamed Hawthorn—Whets the appetite and aids digestion.

Hawthorn contains a large amount of organic acids and fruit acids. Eating it raw can irritate the stomach and may also cause "sore teeth." Steamed hawthorn also has the therapeutic effects of strengthening the spleen and whetting the appetite, promoting digestion to resolve stagnation, invigorating blood circulation, and reducing phlegm.

Specific method: Remove the pits from the hawthorn, place them in a bowl, add rock sugar, and steam in a steamer for 15 minutes. The resulting hawthorn will have a bright color and a sweet and sour taste, which can increase appetite and aid digestion.