Apples are one of America’s most loved fruits. Every grocery store has apples on their produce shelf. From school lunches to apple pies and bobbing apple games, apples are an autumn staple. However, the fruit is more than a tasty snack and there are facts about the fruit that some people are not aware of. In this article we will bite into some of the most jaw dropping facts about these delicious snacks.

1)    Supermarket Apples Can be One Year Old

In the United States, most apples sold at the grocery store are domestically produced. Only 5% of apples in the United States are imported. (Link 3) However, apples usually aren’t sold right when they are harvested. Apple season is short, lasting for only about two months in the fall and apples need to be sold throughout the year. (Link 1) To stop the aging process of apples, producers will treat apples with a gaseous compound called 1-methylcuclopropne which blocks Ethylene. (Link 1) Ethylene is the compound that causes fruits to ripen by converting their cellulose into sugars. (Link 1) When apples have their ethylene blocked this delays the ripening process and apples can last for longer. Apples are often stored and sold by producers throughout the year. Some of the apples sold at the grocery stores could have been in storage for up to a year.(Link 1)

2)    There are 7,500 Cultivars of Edible Apples

There are a whopping 7,500 different kinds of culinary or eating apples. (Link 2) It’s hard to believe one fruit could have some many varieties. There are about 25 varieties grown and sold commercially. (link 2) Some of the most common varieties sold include Pink Lady, Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, McIntosh and Democrat. Each kind has a different flavor and is best suited to a different use. Granny Smith apples are renowned for their tart flavor that pairs well with savory dishes and baking. By contrast, Red Delicious apples are known for their sweet flavor and crips texture which makes them the perfect snack to eat on their own or a great addition to a salad. Honeycrisp apples live up to their name are known for their sweet, honey-like flavor.Since each apple variety has such a distinct flavor, apples are categorized by use. While many apples are great to eat on their own, some are better-suited for uses such as cider-making. A popular apple used to make cider is Normandy. (Link 2) The apple is more bitter than other varieties because it has more tannins. (Link 2)There are some varieties of apples that are grown as ornamental trees and shrubs. The apples on these trees cannot be eaten and are also known as crab apples. (Link 2)

3)    Apples Followed Colonizers

Apples have been valued as food for humans since early times. (Link 2) In Switzerland, prehistoric lake dwellings with carbonized apples were discovered. (Link 2) In Europe, the cultivation of apples has been recorded since Roman times. (Link 2) Both Cato and Pliny both described cultivated apples. (Link 2) Pliny documented 37 varieties of cultivated apples in his book. (Link 2) The Romans were believed to have introduced apples to France and from their apples were introduced to other countries. (Link 2) As Christianity spread over Europe, so did the spread of apples. This wasn’t coincidental. As religious orders formed settlements, they planted apple trees in their communities. (Link 2)When European colonists went to other continents, they took the apple seeds with them, spreading apples around the globe. (Link 2) Apple seeds were carried to America, Asia, and Australia. (Link 2)

4)    Apples are The Most Consumed Fruit in The United States

While people disagree about what variety of apples is best, most people can agree that apples are delicious. Apples are loved everywhere and in the United States apples are the most consumed fruit. (Link 3) In 2019, the average consumption of all forms of apples increased to about 26.3 pounds per person annually.Some of the things that contribute to the high level of apple consumption include new varieties of apples, more apple production in the United States, a growing population, and more awareness about the importance of fruit in a healthy diet. (Link 3) As the old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

5)     Apple Seeds Contain Cyanide Compounds

When you think of apples, you probably think of how healthy they are. Apples are a source of lots of important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C. (Link5) However, not every part of the apple is nutritious. Apple seeds contain cyanide compounds, which can be toxic to humans in large quantities. (Link 4) For every one kilogram of apple seeds, around 700 milligrams has cyanide compounds. (Link 4) That means every apple seed has around 0.49 mg of cyanogenic compounds. This isn’t enough to cause harm to an adult. However, children and pets are more likely to have an adverse health affect if they swallow an apple seed. (Link 4) Just to make sure you don’t experience adverse health effects, next time you are enjoying an apple, remember to spit out the seeds.

6)    Apples Help Regulate Blood Sugar

While apples have cyanide, they also have many beneficial vitamins and minerals. The fiber in apples is even beneficial for helping regulate blood sugar by slowing down digestion. (Link 5) The slowdown of digestion prevents a spike in blood sugar after eating. (Link 5) The positive benefits of blood sugar regulation are only achieved from eating apples. Apple juice and cider don’t contain fiber. You get the most fiber out of eating the apple with the skin. (Link 5) A medium sized apple contains an average of 4.8 grams of fiber. The total recommended amount of fiber people should get in a day is 14 grams. (Link 5) Eating an apple or two can help fulfill this amount.

7)    Apples Are 25% Air

Did you ever bob for apples as a kid? You might have noticed, no matter what kind of apples you use for the game, the apples always float. This is because 25% of an apple’s volume is air. (Link 6) Apples will float no matter what container they are in. Since apples are 25% air, they are less dense than water and can float. (Link 7)

The large amount of air in apples is also the reason they cause gas in humans. (Link 6) Air gets caught between apple cells and when we eat the apples, the air gets into our digestive system. (Link 6) This causes us to burp.

8)    Granny Smith Was Discovered by a Granny

Granny Smith apples are a stable of apples today. However, the variety wasn’t always around. Granny Smith apples weren’t introduced in the United States until the 1970s. (Link 8) The apple got its name from Maria Smith, a real-life Granny Smith. (Link 8) Maria lived in Australia in the late 1860s. (Link 8) She used crab apples for baking and one day discovered an apple seedling from the pile where she disposed of the crab apples. (link 8) The seedling grew into an apple tree that produced apples with a bright green color and tart flavor. This was the original Granny Smith tree. Maria sold the seeds from the apples to other farmers. (Link 8) Over the next fifty years, the apple became the most popular in Australia. (Link 8) It was a reliable apple, easy to grow, store and it could be eaten raw or used for baking. In the 1930s the apple was introduced to the United Kingdom and in the 1970s the apple made its way to the United States. (Link 8) Today it is one of the best-selling varieties in the United States.

9)    Scientists That Study Apples Are Pomologists

People that study and cultivate apples are pomologists. Pomologists are scientists who look after the reproduction of fruits, nuts, trees, and bushes. They essentially grow plants and make sure they are healthy.  They often work in laboratories, orchards, green houses and on farms. They can work for a range of employers, from governments to universities, farms, private research facilities and agricultural companies.Pomologists have a good understanding of plant genetics, pollination, and maturation. In their day-to-day life at work pomologists usually have to water, care for crop soil, prune, and transport plants. If you love apples and plants, a career as a pomologist might be the job for you.

10) Roses And Apples Are Related

Apples and roses probably don’t seem related, but they are from the same plant family. Both are from Rosaceae, the Rose family. (Link 10) However, this hasn’t always been seen as the case. In the past, botanists would judge the classification of a plant strictly based on appearance and visual characteristics, such as how many leaves a plant has. When this was the case, apples and roses were not believed to be related.

Today the classification has changed, and scientists use DNA to classify plants. This has led to plant reclassification. (Link 10) The change in plant classification led apples to be reclassified within the Rose family in the 1900s. (Link 10) Other plants you might not suspect to be in the Rose family include apples, pears, cherries, peaches, and strawberries. (Link 10)

Sources

Link 1) https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/grocery-store-apple-one-year-old.htm(Link 2) https://books.google.ca/books?id=YvU1XnUVxFQC&q=apple+cultivars+7,500&pg=PT39&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=apple%20cultivars%207%2C500&f=false Link 3) https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/applesLink 4) https://sciencenotes.org/yes-apple-seeds-and-cherry-pits-contain-cyanide/Link 5: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/fiber/Link 6) https://antioxidant-fruits.com/why-and-how-do-apples-float.html#google_vignetteLink 7) https://www.uq.edu.au/_School_Science_Lessons/UNPh11.htmlLink 8) https://minnetonkaorchards.com/granny-smith-apples/Link 9) https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/articles/pomologist-job-description-duties-outlook-and-salary.html#:~:text=A%20pomologist%20is%20a%20scientist,bushes%20on%20which%20they%20grow. Link 10) https://gardens.si.edu/gardens/folger-rose-garden/an-apple-is-a-rose/