About Apple Orchards
Apple orchards are found all over the world. Traditionally, states like Washington and those in the Midwest are famous for growing apples for the entire country. In addition to commercial growers, many apple enthusiasts grow the fruit in their own backyard orchards. A variety of apples is available. Does this Spark an idea?
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Washington Apples
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The state with the greatest amount of apples produced is, of course, Washington, which produces a whopping estimated 124 million bushels of apples annually. Most of the large growers are located in East Washington. The state boasts apples grown in volcanic soil and has several "U-pick" style orchards open most of the year. Some of these orchardists have been in family businesses spanning four generations. Apple lovers can taste Washington's bounty of Golden, Gala, Braeburn and Fuji, among others.
Indiana Orchards
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Indiana boasts a production of more than a million bushels of apples every year. This is Johnny Appleseed country, which heralds an abundance of Red Delicious, Jonathan, Gala and Rome apples. Apple trees represent 70 percent of Indiana's total tree variety, according to Purdue University's Department of Horticulture and Landscape Agriculture. Most of the apple orchards in Indiana are less than 30 acres. Indiana grows some heirloom varieties of apples, although most growers are growing hybrids and dwarf trees. These are preferred by U-pick farms, because ladders are not necessary to reach the fruit. Although cold hardy, the main threat to Indiana apple growers is a late frost in the early spring. In autumn, apple harvest festivals draw tourists who not only enjoy sweet, crunchy apples, but also apple cider, preserves and related products.
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Texas Orchards
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Even states that do not have a large export of apples often have varieties of apples that are unique to the region. Texas has several smaller orchards in the apple country of West Texas. Many of these orchards have a country store feel to them, reminiscent of Texas pioneer days. U-pick orchards, bakeries and cafes serving Southern biscuits dripping in apple butter dot the highways in the Hill Country of Texas. As many as 30 different varieties of apples can be found in these orchards. People come from all over the country to sample flavorful apples, apple cider and wine and Texas-sized pieces of deep-dish apple pie.
An Apple a Day
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Scientific studies, including those done by Cornell University, link eating apples to reducing cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's risks. Apples are fat-, cholesterol- and sodium-free. They contain potassium and other important plant minerals. Apples also contain health-boosting quercetin, antioxidants, flavonoids, pectin and phytochemicals.
Growing Your Own
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George A. Stilphen, author of "Apples of Maine," (see Resources) offers tips to the beginning apple grower. He bemoans the tasteless apples sold in supermarkets, encouraging gardeners to grow their own apples. He says there were more than 200 varieties of apples grown not even 200 years ago, including some that were brown and white. Some varieties tasted a bit like strawberries, bananas and even coconuts. There were apples that would keep for an entire year, apples that were so sweet no sugar was needed to make applesauce and others that snapped apart when a person crunched into them.
Stilphen says these heirloom apples are still available, but commercial growers will not produce them because they take too long to grow or they do not look like the bright, shiny red apple consumers expect to see at the grocery store. A few homegrown favorites are Ben Davis, Blue Peramain, Garden Royal, Golden Russet, Gravenstein, Honeycrisp, Ribston and Roxbury Russet.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit three red apples in the apple tree image by João Freitas from Fotolia.com
