Dictionary Definition
apple
Noun
1 fruit with red or yellow or green skin and
sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
2 native Eurasian tree widely cultivated in many
varieties for its firm rounded edible fruits [syn: orchard
apple tree, Malus
pumila]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
æppel < *apala- < *abl-, *ablu-. Cognate with Scots aipple, Dutch appel, German Apfel, Swedish äpple; and (from IE) with Irish úll, Lithuanian obuolys, Russian яблоко, Serbian јабука.Pronunciation
- , /ˈæpl̩/|/ˈæpəl/, 1=/"
Extensive Definition
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. For many years,
there was a debate about whether M. domestica evolved from chance
hybridization among various wild species. Recent DNA analysis by
Barrie Juniper, Emeritus Fellow in the Department of Plant Sciences
at Oxford
University and others, has indicated, however, that the
hybridization theory is probably false. Instead, it appears that a
single species still growing in the Ili Valley, on
the northern slopes of the Tien Shan
mountains at the border of northwest China Other species that were previously
thought to have made contributions to the genome of the domestic apples are
Malus
baccata and Malus
sylvestris, but there is no hard evidence for this in older
apple cultivars. These
and other Malus species have been used in some recent breeding
programmes to develop apples suitable for growing in climates
unsuitable for M. domestica, mainly for increased cold
tolerance.
History
see also Herefordshire Pomona The center of diversity of the genus Malus is the eastern Turkey, southwestern Russia region of Asia Minor. The apple tree was perhaps the earliest tree to be cultivated, In the 1900s, irrigation projects in Washington state began and allowed the development of the multi-billion dollar fruit industry, of which the apple is the leading species.Cultural aspects
Germanic paganism
In Norse mythology, the goddess Iðunn is portrayed in the Prose Edda (written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson) as providing apples to the gods that give them eternal youthfulness. English scholar H. R. Ellis Davidson links apples to religious practices in Germanic paganism, which Norse paganism developed from. She points out that buckets of apples were found in the Oseberg ship burial site in Norway and that fruit and nuts (Iðunn having been described as being transformed into a nut in Skáldskaparmál) have been found in the early graves of the Germanic peoples in England and elsewhere on the continent of Europe which may have had a symbolic meaning, and that nuts are still a recognized symbol of fertility in Southwest England.Davidson notes a connection
between apples and the Vanir, a tribe of
gods associated with fertility in Norse mythology,
citing an instance of eleven "golden apples" being given to woo the
beautiful Gerðr by
Skírnir,
who was acting as messenger for the major Vanir god Freyr in stanzas 19
and 20 of Skírnismál.
In Skírnismál, Gerðr mentions her brother's slayer in stanza 16,
which Davidson states has led to some suggestions that Gerðr may
have been connected to Iðunn as they are similar in this way.
Davidson also notes a further connection between fertility and
apples in Norse mythology in chapter 2 of the Völsunga
saga when the major goddess Frigg sends King
Rerir an
apple after he prays to Odin for a child, Frigg's messenger (in the
guise of a crow) drops the apple in his lap as he sits atop a
mound. Rerir's wife's
consumption of the apple results in a six-year pregnancy and the
caesarean
section birth of their son - the hero Volsung.
Further, Davidson points out
the "strange" phrase "apples of Hel" used
in an 11th century poem by the skald Thorbiorn Brúnarson, she
states this may imply that the apple was thought of by the skald as
the food of the dead. Further, Davidson notes that the potentially
Germanic goddess Nehalennia is
sometimes depicted with apples and that parallels exist in early
Irish stories. Davidson asserts that while cultivation of the apple
in Northern
Europe extends back to at least the time of the Roman Empire
and came to Europe from the Near East, the
native varieties of apple trees
growing in Northern Europe are small and bitter. Davidson concludes
that in the figure of Iðunn "we must have a dim reflection of an
old symbol: that of the guardian goddess of the life-giving fruit
of the other world."
Greek mythology
Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit. One of the problems identifying apples in religion, mythology and folktales is that the word "apple" was used as a generic term for all (foreign) fruit, other than berries but including nuts, as late as the 17th C. CE.;The Greek goddess of discord,
Eris,
became disgruntled after she was excluded from the wedding of
Peleus and
Thetis. In
retaliation, she tossed a golden apple inscribed Καλλιστή
(Kalliste, sometimes transliterated Kallisti, 'For the most
beautiful one'), into the wedding party. Three goddesses claimed
the apple: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.
Paris of
Troy was
appointed to select the recipient. After being bribed by both Hera
and Athena, Aphrodite tempted him with the most beautiful woman in
the world, Helen of Sparta. He awarded
the apple to Aphrodite, thus indirectly causing the Trojan
War.
Atalanta, also of
Greek mythology, raced all her suitors in an attempt to avoid
marriage. She outran all but Hippomenes
(a.k.a. Melanion, a name
possibly derived from melon the Greek word for both "apple" and
fruit in general), As a result, in the story of Adam and Eve the
apple became a symbol for knowledge, immortality, temptation, the
fall of man into sin, and sin itself. In Latin, the words for
"apple" and for "evil" are
similar in the singular (malus—apple, malum—evil) and identical in
the plural (mala). This may also have influenced the apple becoming
interpreted as the biblical "forbidden
fruit". The larynx in the
human throat has been called Adam's apple
because of a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit
sticking in the throat of Adam. the word being used in various
commentaries on Genesis.
Apple cultivars
- See List of apple cultivars for a listing.
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. Modern apples are generally
sweeter than older cultivars, as popular tastes in apples have
varied over time. Most North
Americans and Europeans favour
sweet, subacid apples, but tart apples have a strong minority
following. and especially India. 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 exist; 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.
Breeders can produce more
rigid apples through crossing. For example, the Excelsior
Experiment Station of the University
of Minnesota has, since the 1930s, introduced a steady
progression of important hardy apples that are widely grown, both
commercially and by backyard orchardists, throughout Minnesota and
Wisconsin. Its
most important introductions have included 'Haralson'
(which is the most widely cultivated apple in Minnesota),
'Wealthy', 'Honeygold', and 'Honeycrisp'.
Maturation and harvest
Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock. Some cultivars, if left unpruned, will grow very large, which allows them to bear much more fruit, but makes harvesting very difficult. Mature trees typically bear 40–200 kg of apples each year, though productivity can be close to zero in poor years. Apples are harvested using three-point ladders that are designed to fit amongst the branches. Dwarf trees will bear about 10–80 kg of fruit per year. For home storage, most varieties of apple can be stored for approximately two weeks, when kept at the coolest part of the refrigerator (i.e. below 5°C). Some types of apple, including the Granny Smith and Fuji, have an even longer shelf life. A trend in orchard management is the use of organic methods. These use a less aggressive and direct methods of conventional farming. Instead of spraying potent chemicals, often shown to be potentially dangerous and maleficent to the tree in the long run, organic methods include encouraging or discouraging certain cycles and pests. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/applepests To control a specific pest, organic growers might encourage the prosperity of its natural predator instead of outright killing it, and with it the natural biochemistry around the tree. Organic apples generally have the same or greater taste than conventionally grown apples, with reduced cosmetic appearances. The flowers will turn a creamy yellow colour and will not develop correctly. This can be treated in a manner not dissimilar from treating Botrytis; eliminating the conditions which caused the disease in the first place and burning the infected plants are among the recommended actions to take.- Apple scab: Symptoms of Scab are olive-green or brown blotches on the leaves.
Among the most serious disease
problems are fireblight, a bacterial
disease; and Gymnosporangium
rust, and black
spot, two fungal diseases.
In the United
States, more than 60% of all the apples sold commercially are
grown in Washington
state. Imported apples from New Zealand
and other more temperate areas are competing with US production and
increasing each year.
Most of Australia's apple
production is for domestic consumption. Imports from New Zealand
have been disallowed under quarantine regulations for fire blight
since 1921.
Human consumption
Apples can be canned, juiced, and optionally fermented to produce apple juice, cider, ciderkin, vinegar, and pectin. Distilled apple cider produces the spirits applejack and Calvados. Apple wine can also be made. They make a popular lunchbox fruit as well.Sliced apples turn brown with
exposure to air due to the conversion of natural phenolic
substances into melanin
upon exposure to oxygen.
Organic production is difficult in Europe, though a few orchards
have done so with commercial success, 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,
There is evidence that
in
vitro, apples possess phenolic compounds which may be
cancer-protective and demonstrate antioxidant activity. The
predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.
The seeds are mildly poisonous,
containing a small amount of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside; usually not enough
to be dangerous to humans, but it can deter birds.
References
External links
- Apple Facts from the UK's Institute of Food Research
- http://www.members.aol.com/nickhirst/index.html Orchard Research Project UK
- History of Apples from Midwest Apple Improvement Association
apple in Arabic:
تفاح
apple in Assamese:
আপেল
apple in Asturian: Malus
domestica
apple in Azerbaijani:
Alma
apple in Min Nan:
Phōng-kó
apple in Bosnian:
Jabuka
apple in Bulgarian:
Ябълка
apple in Catalan:
Pomera
apple in Chuvash:
Панулми
apple in Czech:
Jabloň
apple in Welsh:
Afal
apple in Danish: Æble
(frugt)
apple in German:
Kulturapfel
apple in Estonian:
Õun
apple in Modern Greek
(1453-): Μήλο
apple in Spanish:
Manzana
apple in Esperanto:
Pomo
apple in Basque:
Sagar
apple in Persian:
سیب
apple in French:
Pomme
apple in Friulian:
Miluçâr
apple in Galician:
Maceira
apple in Korean:
사과
apple in Upper Sorbian:
Jabłuko
apple in Croatian:
Jabuka
apple in Indonesian:
Apel
apple in Icelandic:
Epli
apple in Italian: Malus
domestica
apple in Hebrew:
תפוח
apple in Javanese:
Apel
apple in Kazakh:
Алма
apple in Swahili
(macrolanguage): Tofaa
apple in Haitian:
Pòm
apple in Kurdish:
Sêv
apple in Latin:
Malum
apple in Latvian:
Ābols
apple in Luxembourgish:
Apel
apple in Hungarian:
Alma
apple in Malagasy:
Paoma
apple in Malayalam:
ആപ്പിള്
apple in Malay
(macrolanguage): Epal
apple in Dutch: Appel
(vrucht)
apple in Dutch Low Saxon:
Appel (vruch)
apple in Japanese:
リンゴ
apple in Norwegian:
Eple
apple in Norwegian Nynorsk:
Eple
apple in Occitan (post 1500):
Poma
apple in Polish: Jabłoń
domowa
apple in Portuguese:
Maçã
apple in Kölsch: Appel (för
ze esse)
apple in Quechua:
Mansana
apple in Russian:
Яблоко
apple in Scots:
Aiple
apple in Simple English:
Apple
apple in Slovak:
Jablko
apple in Slovenian:
Jabolko
apple in Serbian:
Јабука
apple in Finnish:
Tarhaomenapuu
apple in Swedish:
Äpple
apple in Tamil:
ஆப்பிள்
apple in Thai:
แอปเปิล
apple in Vietnamese: Táo
tây
apple in Turkish:
Elma
apple in Ukrainian:
Яблуня
apple in Venetian: Malus
domestica
apple in Walloon:
Peme
apple in Yiddish:
עפל
apple in Samogitian:
Vuobelis
apple in Chinese:
苹果