Apple Day 2014 – 21 October

Apple day 2014 on 21 October is all about celebrating the common apple and the many different varieties there are in the UK. I for one enjoy an apple at lunchtime but I wouldn’t say I was loyal to any one particular type – they all taste great to me! To me, that is one of the great things about apples in that you can try all sorts of different varieties when you go shopping. Apple Day 2014 involves hundreds of events being held across the UK – the first Apple Day event was held in 1990 in the old apple market in Covent Garden, London. In my home town of Wymondham in Norfolk, there will be an ‘Apple Fest’ where visitors to the farmers market will find a choice of English apple varieties and apple themed products. Apple Day has played a part in raising awareness of the importance of orchards.

Apples – did you know?

Here are some amazing facts I found about apples:

Apples float and consist of 25% air
Be careful if you are one of those that likes to throw your apples around! In Ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a proposal of marriage and catching it was a response of ‘yes’!
About two thirds of Britain’s orchards have been lost since 1960. Devon has lost 90% of its orchards since the Second World War
There are thousands of different varieties of apples including Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady and Granny Smith
Granny Smith apples originated in Australia in 1868 accidentally after a chance seedling by a woman named Maria Ann Smith
It is believed that the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” originated in Wales in the 19th century. Sadly eating apples doesn’t guarantee good health but they do have nutritional value and potential health benefits!
Apples ripen six to 10 times faster at room temperature than if they are refrigerated
It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider

Apple recipes

Inspired by Apple Day 2014 and everything that is great about apples? Why not try some of these great tasting recipes using apples: