Washington Apples Information

Apples have existed for the length of recorded history, believed to have originated in the Caucasus, a mountainous area between what is now the Black and Caspian Seas. The people of that region are commonly considered the ancestors of most of the peoples of modern Europe, Persia, Afghan and India – apparently taking apples along with them.

Apples' fortunes waxed and waned throughout history. Cultivation and enjoyment of apples was an essential part of civilized life during the Persian Empire, grown as much for their aesthetic pleasures as for good food. The Greeks acquired the Persian affinity for apples when they assumed dominance in the third century B.C. Later the food customs and horticultural skills acquired from the Persians and Greeks migrated with the epicurean Romans westward into Europe, rising to the level of both art and science.

As the Roman Empire declined, however, so did apple growing for a time. In fact, many of the varieties and techniques would have been lost had it not been for the monastic orcharding traditions of the Christian church through the twelfth century. In the East, fruit growing was saved and actually expanded by the rise of Islam, the tenets of which encouraged botany.

Apple growing, for both food and spectacle, arose again in fifteenth-century Renaissance Italy. Contributing to this revival was the advent of cooking with sugar, and a decline of earlier religious concerns. France and England followed suit, and fruit remained king in Europe well into the 1800s.

European settlers of the Americas brought with them their English customs and favorite fruits, much favored over the native crab apple.

The Lady apple, a variety still grown today, is believed to be one of the oldest varieties on record, documented as far back as the first century A.D. (Wynne)

The oldest apple recipe on record, for Diced Pork and Matian Apples, comes from De Re Coquinaria ("On Cookery"), dating from the third century and attributed to a gourmand named Apicius, who lived two centuries before.

The story that Newton discovered the law of gravity after watching an apple fall from a tree is probably backwards, thought to evolve from his having used the apple's fall to illustrate the pull of gravity.

Quick Apple Tips

Apple Care and Handling
An apple’s skin should be shiny, not dull. Dull appearing apples won’t be crisp and tasty!
Handle as little as possible to avoid bruising and skin damage. Apples should be firm and free of bruises.

Apple Storage
Apples should be refrigerated at about 0°C (32°F) - the optimal temperature to keep them fresh and crunchy. Don’t keep your apples in a fruit bowl on the counter– they will lose their crispness!

Apple Preparation
Prepare apple dishes just before serving to minimize browning (oxidation). Protect cut apples from oxidation by dipping them into a solution of one part citrus juice and three parts water.