On December 1, National Eat a Red Apple Day encourages everyone to eat a red apple. As the adage goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and today is a perfect time to put that theory to taste.
- There are about 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. About 100 of those are sold commercially.
- Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
- Green apples beat the red apple slightly in fiber content. They also have less sugar and carbohydrates. However, red apples tend to taste better eaten fresh. They’re already naturally sweet and don’t require added sugar. The red apple slightly edges out the green in antioxidants.
- The ‘Ben Davis’ Apple was the reigning king of apples in 1880, due to its ability to handle rough growing conditions and its ability to keep fresh a long time. But it wasn’t considered the best tasting one, and as moving produce from farm to store became easier better tasting was winning out.
- Dirty Water Made Apple Cider Popular. During colonial times, many were scared to drink water because of the high risk of disease it carried. Apples were always in abundance and many orchards grew apples only for making cider. There was actually a time when wages were paid partially in apple cider.
- Red Delicious held its position as the most popular apple in the world well into the 1980’s, when its popularity began to decline.
- Washington State is one of the biggest producers of apples, and the red delicious constitutes 75% of the state’s production. While it’s shrunk to 1/3rd of that amount since, it’s still a massive part of the world’s production of apples.
- Apples are part of the rose family, just like pears and plums.
- There are more than 8,000 varieties of apples – the largest variety of fruit to exist.
- The life expectancy for an apple tree is about 100 years.
- China is by far the largest apple producer.
- The world’s top apple producers are China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy.
- The pilgrims planted the first apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
- The Apple is popularly known as the supposed forbidden fruit of Eden. But this is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible!
- A medium-sized apple contains 80 calories.
- Pomology is the science of apple-growing
- The fear of apples is known as Malusdomesticaphobia
- Archaeologists have found evidence that people have been eating apples since 6,500 B.C.
- Apples are the second-most valuable fruit grown in the U.S. (oranges being the first).
- Most apples in the world are still picked by hand.
- Americans eat more apples per capita than any other fruit. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average American eats about 16 pounds of fresh apples and 28 pounds of processed apples like juice, cider, or sauce, for a total of about 44 pounds per person per year.
- The average person eats 65 apples a year.
- The average apple has 10 seeds.
- It takes about 36 apples to make one gallon of apple cider.
- When John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, blasted off on his initial space flight, he carried with him pureed applesauce in squeezable tubes.
- The first American apple orchard was planted around 1625 by William Blackstone on Boston’s Beacon Hill.
- After nearly a decade with Red Delicious as the apple darling of the United States, Gala apples are now the nation’s favorite.
- In 1730, the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.
- Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
- Apple juice was one of the earliest prescribed antidepressants.
- A peck of apples weighs 10.5 pounds.
- A bushel of apples weighs 42 pounds, and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
- The old saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” This saying comes from an old English adage, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”
- Bobbing for apples? 25% of an apple’s volume is air, which is why they float.
- Johnny Appleseed (real name John Chapman) was a real person, who planted apple trees all over parts of the United States, and he wasn’t poor. Back then, land could be claimed if you created a permanent homestead, and one of the ways to do that was to plant 50 trees to start an orchard. Chapman planted trees, and then later would sell “his” land to people. \
- Apples Were Discovered by Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great was a king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and is credited with discovering apples.
- One of the most interesting apple facts concerns the well-known expression “apple of my eye”. It is often a phrase used to describe someone who means the world to someone, like a spouse, good friend, or child. It is usually associated with feelings of love, admiration, respect and beauty. The saying has been around for quite some time and can be credited to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who believed that the pupil of the human eye resembled an apple.
- Apples:
- Protects Your Heart
- Maintains Brain Health
- Reduces Acne And Treat Aging Skin
- Aids Weight Loss
- Regulates Diabetes
- Promotes Digestion And Gut Health
- Has Anti-inflammatory Properties
- Boosts Eye Health And Vision
- Good For Bones And Teeth
- Promotes Hair Growth
- Reduces Cancer Risk
- Apple seeds have a deadly toxin in them known as ‘Cyanide’. Though this toxin is hard to digest and you’ll have to chew about 200 seeds to have an impact on you.
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