Apple Trivia

Fun Facts and Interesting Information About Apples

Here is a collection of Apple trivia and fun facts:

There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples worldwide. About 2500 varieties exist in the U.S.
The only apple native to North America is the Crabapple.
100 apple varieties are grown commercially in the U.S. Just15 of those varieties makeup 90% of total production. They are Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Fuji.
U.S. apple production in 2009 was 19.1 million pounds.
Washington is the #1 producer of apples in the U.S., accounting for over 1/2 of the apple production. New York State is #2.
An Apple tree can grow up to 40 feet high.
The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and Black seas.
An apple floats, because over 25% of its volume is air.
The science of apple growing is called pomology.
The largest apple ever picked tipped the scales at an amazing three pounds!
European settlers brought apple seeds with them in the 1600s.
McIntosh Apples were discovered in the late 1700s by Canadian John McIntosh.
Johnny Appleseed Day is March 11th. Or, is it September 26th? Find out
John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) was a nurseryman who planted apple orchards in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
The number five is a magical number for apples. The word “Apples’ has five letters. Apple blossoms typically form in clusters of five, and apple blossoms have five petals.
Apple trees can typically live over 100 years and have been known to live for 200 years.
The average person in the U.S. eats about 19 pounds of fresh apples a year, about one apple per week.
According to Celtic myth, apples were from another world. Otherworldly women believed to carry off heroes found sleeping beneath apple trees.

Even More Apple Trivia

The game of bobbing for apples began as a Celtic New Year tradition, to try to determine one’s, a future spouse.
In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it was her acceptance.
To keep potatoes fresh and prevent sprouting, put an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
Is your apple are ripe? Cut open an apple. Brown seeds (not pale), and white flesh indicate a ripe apple.
Apples are fat-free, and a great source of fiber.
They reduce the risk of a stroke.
35% of Americans admit to having apple pie for breakfast.
Apples protect and enhance heart muscle. They also decrease tumor growth and the incidence of cancer.
Apples are a member of the rose family.
President George Washington pruned apple trees in his spare time.
In Colonial times, the apple was better known as a “winter banana” or “melt-in-the-mouth.”
A bushel of apples can produce 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
Geoffrey Chaucer is attributed as the author behind the saying, “One bad apple spoils the bunch.”