The project of LOVE: Food of the day (022008)

The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. The tree is small and deciduous, reaching 5–12 m tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown.^[1] The leaves are alternately arranged simple ovals 5–12 cm long and 3–6 cm broad on a 2–5 cm petiole with an acute tip, serrated margin and a slightly downy underside. Flowers are produced in spring simultaneous with the budding of the leaves. The flowers are white with a pink tinge that gradually fades, five petaled, 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter. The fruit matures in autumn, and is typically 5–9 cm diameter. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds.^[1]

The tree originated from Asia, where its wild ancestor is still found today. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples resulting in range of desired characteristics. It should be noted however, that cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock.^[2]

Apple cultivars

See List of apple cultivars for a listing.

There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples. Different cultivars are available for temperate and subtropical climates. Reputedly the world's biggest collection of apple cultivars is housed at the National Fruit Collection in England. Apples do not flower in tropical climates because they have a chilling requirement.

Different kinds of apple cultivars in a supermarket

Commercially popular apple cultivars are soft but crisp. Other desired qualities in modern commercial apple breeding are a colourful skin, absence of russeting, ease of shipping, lengthy storage ability, high yields, disease resistance, typical "Red Delicious" apple shape, long stem (to allow pesticides to penetrate the top of the fruit), and popular flavour.^[2]

Old cultivars are often oddly shaped, russeted, and have a variety of textures and colours. Some find them to have a better flavour than modern cultivators,^[10] but may have other problems which make them commercially unviable, such as low yield, liability to disease, or poor tolerance for storage or transport. A few old cultivars are still produced on a large scale, but many have been kept alive by home gardeners and farmers that sell directly to local markets. Many unusual and locally important cultivars with their own unique taste and appearance are out there to discover; apple conservation campaigns have sprung up around the world to preserve such local cultivars from extinction. In the United Kingdom old cultivars such as Cox's Orange Pippin and Egremont Russett are still commercially important even though by modern standards they are low yielding and disease prone.^[1]

Although most cultivars are bred for eating fresh (dessert apples), some are cultivated specifically for cooking (cooking apples) or producing cider. Cider apples are typically too tart and astringent to eat fresh, but they give the beverage a rich flavour that dessert apples cannot.^[11]

Modern apples are generally sweeter than older cultivars. Most North Americans and Europeans favour sweet, subacid apples, but tart apples have a strong minority following. Extremely sweet apples with barely any acid flavour are popular in Asia^[12] and especially India.^[11]

Tastes in apples vary from one person to another and change continually over time. As an example, the U.S. state of Washington made its reputation for apple growing on Red Delicious. In recent years, many apple connoisseurs have come to regard the Red Delicious as inferior to cultivars such as Fuji and Gala due to its merely mild flavour and insufficiently firm texture.

Health benefits

Apples, with skin (edible parts)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 50 kcal 220 kJ

Carbohydrates	13.81 g
- Sugars 10.39 g
- Dietary fiber 2.4 g
Fat	0.17 g
Protein	0.26 g
Vitamin A equiv. 3 μg	0%
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.017 mg	1%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.026 mg	2%
Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.091 mg	1%
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.061 mg	1%
Vitamin B6 0.041 mg	3%
Folate (Vit. B9) 3 μg	1%
Vitamin C 4.6 mg	8%
Calcium 6 mg	1%
Iron 0.12 mg	1%
Magnesium 5 mg	1%
Phosphorus 11 mg	2%
Potassium 107 mg	2%
Zinc 0.04 mg	0%

Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database

An old proverb attests to the health benefits of the fruit: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.^[19] Like many fruits, apples contain Vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by preventing DNA damage. The fiber content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease,^[20]^[21] weight loss^[21] and controlling cholesterol,^[21] as they do not have any cholesterol, have fiber (which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption), and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.^[21]

There is evidence that in vitro, apples possess phenolic compounds which may be cancer-protective and demonstrate antioxidant activity.^[22] The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.^[23]

The seeds are mildly poisonous, containing a small amount of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside, but a large amount would need to be chewed to have any toxic effect.^[24]