Apples

The first cultivated apples seem to have been called abel, and variations of this word developed as it spread across Europe. The Anglo-Saxons called it aeppel, which gradually developed into the modern world.

Historical -

Apples were one of the earliest cultivated fruits, with a domesticated history of around 4,000 years.The original apples were very small in size, very sour and similar to our modern day crab apples.It was the Romans that improved cultivation as well as spread of this loved fruit.In later years, well known named varieties are grown throughout the world, such as Cox's orange pippin invented by Mr Cox in 1830, a keen gardener who lived at what is now Heathrow Airport - and Granny Smiths, created by Ann Smith, an English Midwife's daughter of transported convict to Australia during the 1860s, who planted her seed down under.

Fact -

There are said to be well over 10,000 different varieties of apple identified internationally - many nations taking the fruit extremely seriously.America adopted the apple and named New York the Big Apple. The UK once put on a display of over 1 million applies at Bingley Hall and, in French cookery, anything described as 'à la Normand' includes apples.

Health & Fitness -

Apples possess a good source of Vitamin C, which helps to maintain the immune system.In Alternative Medicine, ripe uncooked apples were traditionally used for the treatment of constipation, whilst stewed they were eaten for diarrhoea and gastro-enteritis.

Hints & Tips -

If baking apples or cooking them in a microwave, always make a small line incision around the apple, three-quarters up towards the core end.This will prevent the apple from unsightly bursts and explosions as the incision will act as a release valve for expansion and evaporating steam.