Apples

The apple is a sweet, sometimes sour, round edible fruit, the size of a man’s palm, that is often found in various shades of red or green. The former is more common than the latter.

In addition to being eaten apples are also used in the manufacture of cider (an alcoholic beverage of some strength) and that increases the demand for apples or generates more demand for the fruit, especially apples that are deemed not suitable for retail due to factors like size, taste and at times because they are overly ripe. The apple is probably the most eaten fruit in the world,

The fruit originated in Central Asia or Asia Minor; in the area that is now southern Kazakhstan, close to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

China is the largest producer of apples in the world accounting for 49.78% of global production. China is followed by the United States 6.22%, Turkey 3.65%, Poland 2.94%, India 2.72%, Iran 2.52%, Italy 2.31%, Chile 2.12%, France 2.06% and the Russian Federation 1.97%.

Apples grow well in subtropical climates, or regions where there are four seasons coupled with warm summers and cool to mild winters with an average temperature of 10 °c and a median temperature that rarely exceeds 18 °c.

Apple trees can grow in most types of soil but poor soil will yield poor results and the best apple trees grow in fertile, loamy soil with PH levels that range from 5.5 - 6.5 on the PH scale i.e. soil that is more acidic in nature and content.

The fruit is rich in vitamin content especially vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, vitamin C and folate (folic acid - a B vitamin) and the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” most likely sums up the health benefits derived from eating apples regularly.

Copyright © 2019 by Dyarne Jessica Ward and Kathiresan Ramachanderam