While you may think you’re familiar with apples – a staple in lunchboxes, fruit bowls, and desserts – there’s a lot more than meets the eye.
Minifarms’ passionate apple-expert, Ross, has been in the apple growing business for 55 years. It’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about this crunchy classic.
Did you know that the stickers on apples disintegrate? Not only that, Ross assures us they are completely safe to eat!
So too is the coating on waxed apples. In fact, this wax is known as ‘chocolate wax’, as it’s exactly the same as what’s used on Cadbury chocolate to give it that shiny appeal.
Ross says waxed apples are perfectly fine for eating, if not better, as the wax seals in the apple’s goodness.
Speaking of wax, if you’ve ever noticed a white residue on your apples, it’s not actually from spray or pesticide – it’s called ‘bloom’, which is a natural wax excreted by the epidermal cells of the fruit.
The wax coating helps preserve the fruit and reduce evaporation. You can simply wash it off with water before taking a bite.
Ever dropped an apple in water and noticed it float? That’s because they’re 25% air! No wonder they make such a great, light snack.
Surprisingly, any apple you eat this week was actually picked in either February, March or April. From this point onwards, the trees are left to rest until the coming season.
After being picked fresh from the tree, each apple is packed into a plastic lined crate which is sealed and cold stored.
Each week, a certain number of crates are taken out to sell, while the rest remain in cold store until it’s their time for consumption.
Did you know that there’s not one, but 21 varieties of Pink Lady apples alone? They happen to be Minifarms’ best-selling variety, followed by Ambrosia apples.
We also stock Gala apples, the texture of which is determined by where they’re grown, as well as Jazz and Granny Smith apples. If your favourite apple isn’t on our app, feel free to let us know.
For the best tasting apples, Ross recommends Batlow grown apples, or apples from Victoria. This is because cold weather is what gives apples a good taste and colour.
Next time you shop, add some apples to your basket, share a fact or two, and take a juicy bite. It’s good to be informed about the produce you’re eating!
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