It’s Apple pickin’ time: The definitive guide to pick-your-own apples nationwide Part 1- A Little Bit of History

Long before 1792, when John Chapman (also known as “Johnny Appleseed”) left his Leominster, Massachusetts home to make his way westward planting apple orchards, the fruit had arrived with the settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The history of the apple, a member of the rose family, stretches its origins even further to an area somewhere between the Caspian and the Black Sea more than 6500 years ago.

Historically it was considered a favorite fruit by the ancient Greeks and Romans and today there are at least 7500 varieties grown worldwide, with some 2500 varieties available in the United States alone.

One of the most healthful of all foods, the apple is fat, sodium, and cholesterol free as well as a great source of the fiber, and only about 80 calories for a medium sized fruit.

Now that it’s harvest time, there are many varieties of apple that are available at orchards and farms nationwide, which are beckoning for folks to “pick your own.”

Come back and visit tomorrow as I highlight some fairly common and unusual varieties.