apple; fruit and tree

    Apple, (Malus domestica), fruit of the domesticated tree Malus domestica (family Rosaceae), one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. The apple is a pome (fleshy) fruit, in which the ripened ovary and surrounding tissue both become fleshy and edible. The apple flower of most varieties requires cross-pollination for fertilization. When harvested, apples are usually roundish, 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) in diameter, and some shade of red, green, or yellow in colour; they vary in size, shape, and acidity depending on the variety.

common varieties of apples

    Apple varieties, of which there are thousands, fall into three broad classes: cider varieties; cooking varieties; and dessert varieties, which differ widely but tend to emphasize colour, size, aroma, smoothness, and perhaps crispness and tang. Many varieties are relatively high in sugar, only mildly acidic, and very low in tannin. Apples provide vitamins A and C, are high in carbohydrates, and are an excellent source of dietary fibre. Apples are eaten fresh or cooked in a variety of ways and are frequently used as a pastry filling, apple pie being perhaps the archetypal American dessert. Especially in Europe, fried apples characteristically accompany certain dishes of sausage or pork.

red and green apples

    Malus species are native to the temperate zones of both hemispheres. Apples were eaten by the earliest Europeans. Improved selections had been made, and varieties were recognized more than 2,000 years ago. Hundreds of varieties were recognized in Europe before the settlement of the Americas. As the wave of settlement moved across North America, it was accompanied by the distribution of seedling apple varieties, perhaps by Indians and trappers, certainly by itinerants who became local legendary figures, the most prominent being Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), a professional nurseryman who planted apple trees extensively in Ohio and Indiana.

apple orchard

    Since the apple requires a considerable period of dormancy, it thrives in areas having a distinct winter period, generally from latitude 30° to 60°, both north and south. Northward, apple growing is limited by low winter temperatures and a short growing season. The soils in which apple trees grow must be well drained; fertilizers can be used if the yield is not high enough. Rolling hilltops or the sloping sides of hills are preferred because they provide “air drainage,” allowing the colder, heavier air to drain away to the valley below during frosty spring nights, when blossoms or young fruit would be destroyed by exposure to cold.

    Scions of desired varieties are commonly grafted onto hardy nursery seedlings of about 18 months of age; orchard planting follows one or two years later. Management during the six to eight years before appreciable apple production is reached may consist of little more than protection from competing vegetation and pests. Careful attention to pruning is required, however, especially during the first five years, so that the main scaffold branches will be well distributed along the trunk and to prevent development of weak crotches, which can break under heavy fruit loads. With mature trees, a rigorous spraying regime must be followed to protect against insect pests and possibly to delay spring development, to thin young fruit, and to hold the autumn drop of ripening fruit to a minimum.

    The world crop of apples averages more than 60 million metric tons a year, the vast majority of which is produced by China. Of the American crop, more than half is normally used as fresh fruit. About one-fifth is used for vinegar, juice, jelly, and apple butter. About one-sixth is canned as pie stock and applesauce. In Europe a larger fraction of the crop goes for cider, wine, and brandy. Of the total world production, one-fourth goes for cider.

    In 2011 the largest producers of apples were China, the United States, India, Turkey, and Poland. The largest exporters of apples in 2010 were China, Italy, Chile, the United States, and Poland, while the biggest importers in the same year were Russia, the United Kingdom, Iraq, the Netherlands, and Spain.