This man planted the first apple orchards in colonial America — here's his fascinating story
William Blaxton (also Blackstone) arrived in America from England and helped give us the apples we enjoy every fall.
Apple season in the U.S. is well underway.
Depending on the variety, apple season runs from July to November, according to Pick Your Own, an organization focused on pick-your-own farms
As Americans make plans to visit apple orchards throughout the country, here are 10 fun facts about apples, their many types and nutritional value.
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7,500 varieties – There are 7,500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world, according to the University of Illinois Extension, an environment and agriculture school for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Apples are an edible tree-growing fruit that's cultivated around the world. (iStock)
95 calories – There are approximately 95 calories in a single medium-sized apple that’s three inches in diameter, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central, which is a nutrition fact database.
Up to 8 years – Apple trees take years to grow before they can bear fruit.
The University of Minnesota Extension, a science-focused agriculture and livestock school, reports that dwarf apple trees take two to three years to bear fruit while standard-size apple trees take up to eight years to bear fruit.
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322,000 acres – There are approximately 322 thousand-acre apple orchards in the U.S. that are maintained by more than 5,000 producers, according to a 2021 report from the U.S. Apple Association, a professional organization made of apple growers, packers, shippers and marketers.
A group of fruit trees are called an orchard. (iStock)
100 to 200 varieties sold – While there are about 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the U.S., there are only some grown commercially, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
The U.S. Apple Association reported that approximately "200 unique apple varieties" are commercially grown in the country, including Red Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, McIntosh, Rome, Cripps, Pink/Pink Lady and Empire.
240 million bushels – Approximately 240 million apple bushels are grown in the U.S. each year, according to the U.S. Apple Association.
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$10 billion – The global apple market is projected to grow by $10.12 billion between 2022 and 2026, according to a market research forecast published by ReportLinker, an artificial intelligence-powered market research firm.
Apples taste sweet because they contain sugar and a variety of vitamins and minerals. (iStock)
750,000 years – Apples were discovered approximately 750,000 years ago by early Paleolithic food gatherers in Central Asia, according to the North Carolina Historic Sites, which cited the 1984 "Apple Cookbook" by Olwen Woodier.
The Paleolithic food gatherers reportedly found sour crabapples in the forests of what is now known as Kazakhstan.
19 grams – A medium-sized apple that’s three inches in diameter has about 19 grams of sugar, according to the USDA’s FoodData Central.
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Apples have a colorful outer skin that can be eaten or peeled. (iStock)
1866 – The saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," originated in Wales and first appeared in 1866 in a published Welsh rhyme, according to a JAMA Internal Medicine study, which appeared in the National Library of Medicine.
The peer-reviewed journal reports the original rhyme said, "Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." It was later shortened to its current form in 1913.
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