You have probably heard the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Not only is the apple a healthy fruit, but there are so many interesting facts about apples to learn that I bet you didn’t know.
Although apples are available all year long in the grocery stores, apple season is August through December. That is when the apples are the juiciest and most flavorful. The apples in the grocery store have a wax on them that to make the apple look tastier and to keep the moisture in.
If you don’t enjoy a crisp apple by itself, try dipping it in peanut butter or caramel. You can also make so many things with apples such as breads, pies, tarts, and more.
FUN APPLE FACTS
Health Benefits of Apples
Apples are a healthy snack that is full of vitamin c and fiber. There are 5 grams of fiber in each apple and 80 calories. Don’t peel your apples though. The best way to eat an apple is with the skin on. Most of the vitamins and nutrients are found in the peel. Eating apples instead of other sweet treats has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Apples have 5 seed pockets. Each has a different number of seeds. Can you eat apple seeds? That is a great question! Some people say they are toxic and some say they are healthy.
Keeping Apple Slices from Turning Brown
Many people want to slice and pack an apple in their lunch, but don’t like how it turns brown after slicing it. To keep the apple slices from turning brown, put them back together against the core of the apple and put a rubber band around it. The less the slices are exposed to air, the less brown they will become. You can also spray them with a little lemon juice. Let the lemon juice sit for a few minutes, rinse the apples off, and then they will be ready to pack and won’t turn brown as fast.
Visiting an Apple Orchard
A great way to learn more about apples and to try the freshest apples and apple products is to visit an apple orchard. Most orchards will let you pick your own apples to take home. If you are going to visit an apple orchard for apple picking, you will need to know the terms bushel and peck of apples. Two gallons of apples is called a peck of apples. A bushel of apples is about 125 medium apples. That’s a lot of apples!
Fun Facts About Apples
- Apples are a member of the rose family.
- It takes the energy from 50 leaves to make one apple.
- It takes about 40 apples to make one gallon of apple cider.
- Apple ripen ten times faster at room temperature (sitting on the
- counter), then they do in the refrigerator.
- It takes 2 pounds of apples to make one apple pie.
- October is National Apple Month which celebrates the fantastic fruit that we all enjoy.
How To Grow Your Own Apples
Have you ever wanted to plant your own apple tree? Here’s what you need to know. An average size apple tree grows about 25 feet tall. So you will need a lot of room. However, a dwarf apple tree only grows about 10 feet high. A lot of growers use dwarf apple trees.
Apple trees take 5 to 8 years to produce their first apple. So you will need to wait patiently for your fruit trees to produce fruit. Once it has produced an apple, it will keep producing more every year. Apples are picked by hand in the Fall. A lot of time and space will be needed to grow your own apples, but it can be done.
Apple Life Cycle
You might be wondering how apples grow. Here is how the life cycle of an apple works.
- Apple seeds are planted or are on the ground from fallen apples.
- The seeds grow roots.
- A tree begins to form.
- The tree grows.
- It blooms flowers called apple blossoms.
- Bees are needed to cross pollinate the flowers.
- From the flower, an apple grows.
- That apple has seeds and the life cycle starts again.
Different Varieties of Apples
Apple varieties come in different colors such as red, yellow, and green apples. Some are sweeter and some are tart. Certain apples are better for cooking than others. There are 7,500 different types of apples grown. That is a lot of different types. Which kind of apple is your favorite?
A few of the most common well known types of apples are:
- pink lady
- golden delicious
- red delicious apple
- granny smith
Which variety of apple is the most popular? Gala Apples are the most popular type of apple. Red delicious ranks second and Granny Smith is third.
There are many sizes of apples. An average size apple (medium apple) is 2 to 4 inches measuring from one side to the other. The largest apple ever recorded is a Hokuto apple that weighed 4 pounds. Wow!
Apple Products
Apples are popular fruits for eating, but apple growers also grow apples that are used in different kinds of apple products you see at the grocery store. Apples are a great addition to so many foods.
Some of the most popular products that use apples are:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Apple Juice
- Apple Butter
- Apple Chips
- Apple Sauce
- Baked Goods
- Apple Soda
- Caramel Apples
Find a fantastic applesauce recipe from Rainy Day Mum. Work together to peel slice the apples and then let the slow cooker do its job. Make miniature apple pies with this simple apple pie recipe that is delicious and fun to make.
Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed, whose real name was John Chapman, was an American pioneer who introduced apple trees and the first apples to large parts of the United States of America. Places like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and Ontario. However, Pilgrims were the first people to plant apple trees in the United States.