8th March 2018

15. Apples

Red ones, green ones, yellow ones. The names, the brands, the flavours, the types, the variety is massive and we have such a selection to pick from. Or do we? Apples are a phenomenon; they are usually misconceived as just 'apples' but that is where you are wrong my friend. They have such a history, a story and a scientific explanation that is just so incredulous, it will blow your mind.

Right so first thing, typically you think of apples and what say ten or so varieties pop into your head, but nope, there is roughly seven thousand five hundred varieties recorded worldwide. Think about that. Each one with its own taste, its own crispiness, its own sour/sweet twist, its own colour and its own size. That is just outright crazy if you ask me!

Next thing, apples are both asexual and sexual. Which any of you who paid attention in biology is a mind-fuck in itself. A random conversation with a friend about apples I said 'are apples asexual then?' and after a bit of research they are both. There are explanations to this which I'll say in a moment.

Before that, have you ever taken the seeds out of an apple and planted it and thought I'm going to grow an [insert type of apple] tree from this? if you have and waited for it then unfortunately you would be quite disappointed as the seeds from the apple almost never produce the same variety as the apple that produced it. Yes, I thought the exact same when I found that out too!

Mind blown yet?

Okay, so we know planting seeds from an apple won't yield the same variety of tree so how are the same varieties grown? They are usually concocted by grafting through transferring shoot or buds from certain apple tress to others. Once again, if you were involved in your biology lessons you may have cut a flower or some sort of stem, coated it in a growth hormone and developed it to what the stem was from (more to it but not going to bore you)... that is somewhat the same principle with apples but a more sophisticated process and all that to meet food standard regulations.

I done more reading and research into apples and it just gets even deeper and deeper, if you have a spare few minutes I'd recommend you do the same!

Best of British, which I've only had my eyes opened recently to, however the variety in just one pack means you never know what you're going to get, no two apples in the pack are the same ... what's your favourite?