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.
The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea.
The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In colonial times, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.
One of George Washington's hobbies was pruning his apple trees.
Newton Pippin apples were the first apples exported from America in 1768; some were sent to Benjamin Franklin in London
America's longest-lived apple tree was reportedly planted in 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhattan orchard was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866.
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."
Apple Science
The science of apple growing is called pomology.
Apples are a member of the rose family. The science of apple growing is called pomology.
Some apple trees will grow over forty feet high and live over a hundred years.
Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
25 percent of an apple's volume is air which is why they float.
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 numbers of seeds.
Equivalents
Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42 pounds each.
A peck of apples weighs 10.5 pounds.
A bushel of apples weighs about 42 pounds and will yield 20-24 quarts of apple sauce.
Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
Health Facts
Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
A medium apple is about 80 calories.
Apples are a great source of the fiber pectin. One apple has about 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 cell damage, which can trigger some diseases.
Statistics
2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
7500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
Apples are grown in all 50 states but are commercially grown in only 36 states.
39 percent of apples are processed into apple products; 21 percent of this is for juice and cider.
The apple variety 'Red Delicious' is the most widely grown variety in the United States.
In 2008, the average U.S. consumer ate about 16.4 pounds of fresh-market apples.
The largest apple picked weighed three pounds!
The average size of a United States apple orchard is 50 acres.
Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. The first is oranges.
The largest U.S. apple crop was 277.3 million cartons in 1998.
China is the leading producer of aples with over 30 million metric tons grown in 2009.
The world's top apple produces are China, United States, Turkey, Iran, and Poland.
Apples account for 50% of the world's deciduous fruit tree production.
The five most popular apples in the United States are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith.
Miscellaneous Facts
Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
Many growers use dwarf apple trees.
The Lady, or Api, apple is one of the oldest varieties in existence.
Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.
The world's largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976 in Rochester, New York. It was 172 feet, 4 inches long (She was 16 years old at the time and grew up to be a sales manager for an apple tree nursery).
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