Where do Apples come from?
Apple trees grew wild in Central Asia
and western China beginning about
ten to twenty million years ago, around
the time that the first humans were
evolving. Early apples were small and
sour, like crabapples. Over time apples
became bigger and sweeter and about a
million years ago, humans began to not
only eat apples but also plant them for
their own use. Eventually apples made
their way to northern Europe and came
to North America with the settlers at
Jamestown in 1607. They brought
with them seeds and cuttings from
Europe, and while the original vari-
eties planted were not all suited for
cultivation in the New World, their
seeds began to produce new varieties
of American apples. Many of these
apples were still bitter, unlike the
sweet varieties we enjoy today, but
they had an important purpose in
colonial society: cider. When apple
cider is fermented with yeast, it be-
comes a slightly alcoholic drink and
the alcohol preserves the apple juice
all winter. Cider became so popular
that it was sometimes used to pay
salaries and was considered as valu-
able as the Virginia tobacco crop.
Johnny Appleseed
If you like apples you owe a debt
of gratitude to Johnny Appleseed,
whose real name was John Chapman,
for helping spread them throughout
America. He was a notable entrepre-
neur of the American frontier who
dressed in a coffee sack, donned a
tin hat and traveled barefoot. A 19 th
century horticulturist, he brought
seeds from Pennsylvania cider
presses with him and planted them
along his way westward. Though his
legend may paint a picture of Johnny
Appleseed selflessly handing out
seeds to needy settlers, his success
was centered not around fresh apples
but rather the cider they could cre-
ate. Chapman planted orchards along
the pioneers’ routes. He would then
trade his seedlings with new settlers
in the area so that they could grow
apples for their new homes. When
Types of Apples
covered wagons traveled over the
Oregon Trail westward, they carried
apple trees and “scion wood” for
grafting as part of their cargo. Often
the family orchard was planted be-
fore the ground was broken for their
log cabin that was to be home.
EATING AND COOKING APPLES
Honeycrisp
Opal
Golden Delicious (applesauce)
Pink Lady
McIntosh
(applesauce and apple butter)
Bobbing for Apples
Apple bobbing, a game often played
on Halloween, has a history span-
ning a whopping 2,000 years, even-
tually becoming the fall tradition
we all know and love today. But its
origins are more rooted in love and
romance than tricks and treats. It
began as a Celtic courting ritual,
popular among young ladies and
their potential beaus. The young
lady would assign each apple to a
potential mate. The bobber would
then attempt to bite into the apple
named for the young man she
desired. If it only took her one try,
they were destined for romance. If
she succeeded with her second at-
tempt, he would court her, but their
love would fade. If it took three
tries, their relationship was doomed.
Despite its iconic place in Ameri-
can culture, the apple is no longer
America’s favorite fruit. Over the last
40 years, banana consumption has
surpassed that of the apple. How-
ever, apples are grown in every state,
making it the third most important
fruit for the U.S. economy, behind
grapes and oranges.
Nutrition
Benjamin Franklin said, “An apple
a day keeps the doctor away” and
there is probably some truth to that!
Apples are low in calories and free
of fat, sodium and cholesterol. They
are rich in fiber, disease-fighting an-
tioxidants and a variety of vitamins
and minerals. Eating apples has
been associated with lower risk of
a variety of cancers, stroke and dia-
betes. In addition, these nutritional
powerhouses may help protect the
brain from developing Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s disease, and even
lower a person’s risk of tooth decay.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
FALL/HOLIDAY 2019
EATING APPLES
Fuji (less prone to browning)
great for salads)
Envy
Gala
Ambrosia
Jazz
Red Delicious
(less prone to browning)
APPLES FOR BAKING
Pippin
Jonagold
Rome
Winesap
Granny Smith
Storing Apples
Separate apples from other fruit.
Apples release ethylene gas over time
which causes other fruit to ripen
faster, so it won’t last as long. Refrig-
eration keeps apples at their freshest.
Store apples away from strong
smelling foods. Apples can absorb
smells from other food if kept in
proximity. It is best to store apples
in a drawer of their own whenever
possible.
For the longest shelf-life, store
your apples in the refrigerator You
may choose to leave your apples out
on the counter, which is fine how-
ever they will only last 1 to 2 weeks.
Stored cold, apples can last 6-8
weeks.
Preparing Apples
After peeling apples, immediately
put into acidulated water to prevent
browning.
gmhtoday.com
79