Apple Facts

The old saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”  comes from an old English adage, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”

Apples are a member of the rose family.

The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea. Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C. Charred apples have been found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland. Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans. The Lady or Api apple is one of the oldest varieties in existence.

The crabapple is the only apple native to North America. The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.

One of George Washington’s hobbies was pruning his apple trees.

America’s longest-lived apple tree was reportedly planted in 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhattan orchard and was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866.

Apple blossom is the state flower of Michigan. Most apple blossoms are pink when they open but gradually fade to white.

The science of apple growing is called pomology. Apples have five seed pockets or carpels. Each pocket contains seeds. The number of seeds per carpel is determined by the vigor and health of the plant. Different varieties of apples will have different number of seeds.Apples are propagated by two methods: grafting or budding.

Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit. The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.

7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world. World’s top apple producers are China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy. Europeans eat about 46 pounds of apples annually.

Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. Oranges are first. 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States. The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan,Pennsylvania, California and Virginia. Almost one out of every four apples harvested in the United States is exported. Americans also eat about  46  pounds of apples annually.

Apples are grown in all 50 states, and are grown commercially in 36 states. The average size of a United States orchard is 50 acres. Some apple trees will grow over 40 feet high and live over 100 years. Many growers use dwarf apple trees.

Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit. It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.

Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall. Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42 pounds each. Many apples after harvesting and cleaning have commercial grade wax applied. Waxes are made from natural ingredients.

Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free and a medium apple is about 80 calories. Apples are a great source of the fiber pectin. One apple has five grams of fiber. Don’t peel your apple. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel. Antioxidants help to reduce damage to cells, which can trigger some diseases.