Don’t you just love fall? It brings cooler weather, the smell of wood smoke in the air, and color in the trees. But there’s another reason to love fall—apples.

History

Did you know it’s believed apples come from modern-day Kazakhstan in Central Asia? Their popularity spread, in part, thanks to the Romans.

As you learned in DYK 100 Years Ago FBI Agents Chopped Down Apple Trees to Prevent Crime?, apple trees grown from seeds don’t produce tasty fruit without grafting. The Romans were masters at this. But in the new world, settlers didn’t usually have the labor, talent, or time for grafting. Why bother when growing apple trees from seeds was so easy, and, in most cases, producing apples for hard cider rather than eatable fruit was the goal anyway?

Did You Know…

• People have enjoyed apples for more than 8,500 years.
• The crab apple is North America’s only native apple.
• Apple trees grown from seeds produced “spitters” (what you did after tasting one) because they were usually sour. They weren’t good for eating but were perfect for fermenting into hard cider, i.e., an alcoholic drink.

Production

In the U.S., apples are the most popular fruit and one of the most valuable fruit crops. They are grown in all 50 states, but only grown for commercial sale in 36. Washington State produces more apples than any other state. In fact, it produces more than all other apple-producing states combined. In 2021, Washington produced 68.64% of U.S. apples. New York, second highest, produced only 13.61%, and Michigan, at third, only 6.66%.

Did You Know?

• The world’s largest apple producer is China. The U.S. is the second largest.
• Washington State harvests 10-12 billion apples each year. (Side-by-side, that many apples would wrap around the earth 29 times!)
• Washington State apples aren’t just for the U.S. They’re exported to 60 other countries around the world.
• To keep from bruising the fruit, each apple is hand-picked.
• There are over 175,000 acres of apple orchards in Washington State.
• There are some 2,500 different varieties of apples grown in the U.S.
• Washington State grows more than 30 varieties of apples but is known primarily for eight.
• Harvesting all of Washington State’s apples takes approximately 40,000 pickers.

Food

Apples alone are nutritious, containing no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. But apples aren’t always eaten alone. Two (not so nutritious) ways to enjoy apples are dipped in caramel and in apple pie.

While the U.S. has claimed apple pie as its own, it isn’t really “American.” There are Dutch apple pie recipes recorded as early as 1514, but the first recorded apple pie recipe was from 1381 England. It had figs, raisins, pears, and saffron, but no sugar. Most early apple pies didn’t include sugar, and their pastry was inedible, acting only as a container rather than part of the pie.

Did You Know…

• It takes 50 apple tree leaves to produce one apple.
• Five seeds are in every average apple.
• Apples are 85% water.
• The average American eats sixteen pounds of fresh apples each year but consumes, in total, more than 25 pounds of apple products (i.e., fresh, dried, frozen, juice, etc.).
• The best apple cider flavor comes from blending sweet apples with tart and a bit of bitter.
• Apples should be put in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home. They stay freshest at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Because apples store so well, fresh apples can be at least a year old when sold in stores.

Last Bite

For more apple recipes or apple-themed games and puzzles and everything in between, check out the Washington Apple Commission website.