Guess How Many Apple Varieties There Are: 75, 750, 7500 or 75,000?

Guess How Many Apple Varieties There Are: 75, 750, 7500 or 75,000?
by www.SixWise.com

Nowadays you can get apples year-round, but traditionally, apples were eaten from the end of summer through late fall -- and if you're looking for the most flavorful apples, that's still the best time to get them.

A Quick Apple History

Chicken-Apple Curry*
Serves 4-6

This is a unique and tasty curry recipe, perfect for an autumn dinner, lunch, or brunch.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked cubed chicken
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup diced raisins
1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cups diced, unpeeled apples
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 1/2 tbsp. chicken bouillon mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Spring onions, diced, for garnish

Method:

Heat butter in skillet, add onions and cook until transparent.
Add apples and raisins; sauté 5 minutes.
Add celery and cook 2 more minutes.
Combine seasoning and flour and blend in.
Add chicken bouillon mix dissolved in water, lemon juice, and stir until thickened.
Simmer 2-3 minutes stirring all the time.
Fold in chicken, mix well.
Garnish with spring onions.
Serve on a bed of rice with apple chutney and fresh cucumber salad.

*Turkey, pork or lamb can be used instead of chicken.
Source: VermontApples.org

Old-Fashioned Apple Bread
Yield: 1 loaf pan (9 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 2 1/2")

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups peeled and diced apples, moistened with lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup chopped raisins or dates
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk

Method:

Cream together butter and sugar.
Add beaten egg.
Stir in fruit and nuts.
Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk.
Place in a loaf pan; let stand for 10 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees F until cooked, about 1 hour.
Serve plain or buttered.

Source: VermontApples.org

Apples have been around since ancient times. There is the famous apple tree in the Garden of Eden, and there is evidence that sun-dried apples were eaten during the Stone Age. Greek and Roman mythology refers to apples as a symbol for love and beauty (they were used during marriage ceremonies and courtships, hence the saying "the apple of my eye"), and in the 1800s, John Chapman became well-known for planting apple tress in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and beyond, earning him the name "Johnny Appleseed."

Today, apples are one of America's most popular fruits, with each American eating about 65 apples a year.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

This famous saying is said to have stemmed from an old English saying, "Ate an apfel avore gwain to bed, makes the doctor beg his bread." (Eat an apple before going to bed makes the doctor beg his bread.) And there is some truth to it. Apples contain a host of nutrients and other healthy compounds that make them an incredibly healthy treat, such as:

Powerful antioxidants, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, protect against breast and colon cancers, prevent kidney stones, fight inflammation and help to lower bad cholesterol while raising the good kind.
Pectin, a soluble dietary fiber that is good for cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as well as promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
Lots of vitamin C and vitamin K.

Studies have also found that eating at least two apples a week reduces the risk of asthma and type 2 diabetes, and promotes lung health. Plus, eating them raw is a good workout for the mouth, providing a massage for the gums and a gentle cleaning for the teeth. And at only 80 calories for a medium-sized apple, why not enjoy?

Fun Apple Facts

Want to impress your friends with your uncanny knowledge of this autumn favorite? Here are 10 fun facts to use:

Apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air.
It takes nearly 40 apples to make 1 gallon of cider.
You could eat a different apple every day for more than 19 years, and never eat the same kind twice!
The largest apple, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, weighed 3 pounds and 2 ounces.
The "Delicious" apple variety is the most widely grown variety in the United States.
An apple tree has to grow for four or five years before it will produce an apple.
Bobbing for apples started as a Celtic New Year's tradition to determine whom you would marry.
In ancient times, apples were thrown at weddings (instead of rice or birdseed, like today ... ouch!).
It's said that Isaac Newton thought of the "law of gravity" while sitting under an apple tree and having an apple fall on his head.
The apple belongs to the rose family.

How Many Apple Varieties are There: 75, 750, 7500 or 75,000?

Finally, if you've been wondering just how many apple varieties there are, the answer is 7,500 worldwide. The United States grows 2,500 of these, but just 100 of them are grown commercially. Apples are grown in 36 U.S. states, but six states -- Washington, New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia -- produce the vast majority.

If you've had your fill of some of the more popular apple varieties (the top five in the United States are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith), try one of these slightly unusual, but very tasty, apple varieties for a change:

Cameo: This apple is striped red over a creamy background, with a sweet-tart flavor and firm texture.
Jonagold: Has a tart flavor with a crisp and juicy texture and a creamy yellow flesh.
Pink Lady: The skin is a pink blush over yellow, and the flesh has a sweet but tart flavor with a firm texture.
Sierra Beauty: The skin is a greenish-yellow color with a crisp, slightly tart flesh.
Pippin: A small, green apple with a tart flavor and sweet finish.
Braeburn: A firm, barrel-shaped apple with a sweet-tart and spicy flavor.

Recommended Reading

The 11 Healthiest Autumn Fruits and Vegetables

Six Disease-Fighting Super Antioxidants You are Likely Not Getting Enough Of

Sources

University of Illinois Extension: Apples and More

Whole Foods Market: Apples to Apples Primer

The World's Healthiest Foods

History and Legends of Apples

Vermont Apples