History
Back in ancient times, the Greeks and Romans were the first to enjoy the juicy, sweet flavor of the apple. Soon after the Romans conquered England, there were apple trees growing all over the land and across the entire European continent. When Europeans began settling in America, they brought the apple seeds and the apple trees with them. Historical records from the Massachusetts Bay Company indicate that apples started to grow in parts of New England as early as 1630. Soon, apple growing spread to all parts of America, due largely in part to an apple seed farmer named John Chapman. Known in fairy tales as Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman distributed seeds to European settlers of Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana in the 1800's. The tale of Johnny Appleseed describes him as wearing ragged clothes and a tin pot over his head...I guess in case he gets hit by an apple! Today, the apple is ranked as America's favorite fruit, and the United States produces over 2,500 varieties of apples.
Washington ranks number one in the country at producing the most bushels per year, followed by New, Michigan, and California. The most popular varieties produced in the U.S. are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith, Rome, McIntosh, York, Idared, and Johnathan.
If you visit an apple orchard this fall, you will notice that the apple trees are planted in rows, about thirty to forty feet apart on all sides. Planting in such a fashion allows the growers to care for and harvest the apples more easily. The branches should be trimmed so that the tree forms a nice, rounded shape. If an orchard is properly cared for, it will produce many delicious apples for thirty years or more!
Apples are very nutritious too! Apples are a great source of vitamin C and fiber and make a great snack anytime!
Nutrient analysis for 1 medium apple: calories: 81, protein: <1g, carbohydrate: 21g, fat: <1g, cholesterol: 0mg, saturated fat: <1g, sodium: 0mg, fiber: 4g
Source: Adapted from Apples: A Class Act published by the U.S. Apple Association