Apple Trivia

Science

  • Apples are a member of the rose family of plants, along with pears, peaches, plums and cherries.
  • The science of apple growing is called pomology.
  • Apples come in all shades of red, green and yellow.
  • Most apples are still picked by hand.
  • It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
  • 25 percent of an apple’s volume is air; that’s why they float.
  • A standard-size apple tree starts bearing fruit 8-10 years after it is planted. A dwarf tree starts bearing in 3-5 years.
  • It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
  • A peck of apples weighs 10.5 pounds.
  • A bushel of apples weighs 42 pounds, and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
  • Most apple blossoms are pink when they open, but gradually transition to white.
  • Apple trees can be grown farther north than other fruit trees because they bloom late in spring, minimizing the chance of frost damage.

History

  • At last count, more than 7,500 apple varieties have been identified worldwide; more than 2,500 varieties are grown in the United States – 100 of which are grown for commercial sale.
  • Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
  • Apples are the second most-valuable fruit grown in the United States; oranges are the first. (Source: USDA Economic Research Service)
  • The largest U.S. apple crop was 277.3 million bushels, harvested in 1998.
  • The world’s largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976, in Rochester, N.Y. 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.) (Source: Guinness World Records)
  • 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.
  • In 1730, the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.
  • Pilgrims planted the first U.S. apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since 6500 BC.

Nutrition

  • A large-sized apple has about 130 calories.
  • Apples are fat-free, sodium-free and cholesterol-free. And they taste great, too!
  • Apples are an excellent source of fiber; one large apple contains 5 grams of fiber, including the soluble fiber pectin.