Apple

Origin / Growing regions:
Apples grow primarily in the northern regions of Europe, Asia and North America.

Descriptions:
Apples are among the most important types of fruit cultivated in Europe. Some 20,000 varieties are cultivated worldwide, but only a few of these are economically significant. Apples are classified as stone fruits and grow on small summer-green trees or bushes.

Fruit:
Fruit colour varies by species from light-yellow to red to green. The skin of the nearly round fruits is edible. Apples have white pulp and brownish-black seeds.

Taste:
Depending upon the variety, apples have a characteristic, ordinarily sweet-sour flavour, which is the product of the interplay of sugar, acids and aromatic substances. Acid content varies within such a wide range that especially mild juices can be produced by selecting the right variety. Apples should be allowed to ripen after harvesting in order to develop their full flavour.

Distinctive characteristics:
Apples are ordinarily not ripened to full flavour when picked. Full ripeness is not achieved until the starch in the pulp is almost completely decomposed and an optimum balance of sugar, acids and aromatic substances is attained. There is a great deal of truth to the old saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Apples – especially apple skin – contain high levels of pectin, which is believed to have a beneficial effect on digestion, blood lipids and blood sugar. They also contain vitamins A, B1, B2, E and above all vitamin C – as well as high concentrations of mineral substances.