Granny Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Malus 'Granny Smith'
Hybrid parentage
Thought to be Malus domestica × M. sylvestris
Cultivar
Granny Smith
Origin
Maria Ann (Sherwood) Smith Australia, 1867

Granny Smith, or green apple, is a tip-bearing apple cultivar. It originated in Australia in 1868 from a chance seedling propagated by Maria Ann Smith (nee Sherwood), where the name "Granny Smith" comes from.^[1] They are found wild in New Zealand; it was originally introduced to the United Kingdom circa 1935 and the United States in 1972 by Grady Auvil.

To this day, there is an annual Granny Smith Festival in Eastwood, New South Wales at the end of October. The celebration marks the fact that beyond the cultivar's local origins, in the late 19th, early 20th Century, the orchards of Eastwood supplied apples to the Sydney region. Sydney, with its humid subtropical climate is not ideally suited for growing apples but Granny Smith did notably well while other cultivars struggled. With much easier transport, apples are no longer grown commercially in the Sydney region.

Granny Smith apples are a light speckled green in color. They are crisp, juicy, tart apples which are excellent for both cooking and eating out of the hand. They also are favored for salads because the slices do not brown as quickly as other varieties. It also tends to have a harder texture than other green apples, posing problems for denture wearers.^[2] It is particularly popular as the main ingredient of apple pies, its tart flavor being well suited to baking.

This cultivar needs fewer winter chill hours and a longer growing season to mature the fruit, so it is favored for the milder areas of the apple growing regions.

The cultivar is widely recognised throughout the world and Apple Records adopted a Granny Smith apple as its symbol.

[edit] Controversy

There has been much debate sparked about Granny Smith apples and their seasons. ^[3] Examples of supporting arguments include the fact that most fruit is now gassed during season in order to have enough produce to sell during off season.^[4]

The debate has reached such great heights, sites have been set up to deal with the amount of conflict often received.

[edit] References

1. ^ Granny Smith and her Apples. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
2. ^ Granny Smith apple - flavour, description, and origins of this apple fruit variety. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
3. ^ GreenAppleDebate.com - Present. Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
4. ^ GreenAppleDebate.com - Professional Opinions. Retrieved on 2008-06-09.

[edit] External links

• The Wikimedia Commons has media related to Apple.

Apple, raw, with skin Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 50 kcal   220 kJ
Carbohydrates     13.81 g - Dietary fiber  2.4 g   Fat 0.17 g Protein 0.26 g Thiamin (Vit. B1)  0.017 mg   1% Riboflavin (Vit. B2)  0.026 mg   2% Niacin (Vit. B3)  0.091 mg   1% Pantothenic acid (B5)  0.061 mg  1% Vitamin B6  0.041 mg 3% Folate (Vit. B9)  3 μg  1% Vitamin C  4.6 mg 8% Calcium  6 mg 1% Iron  0.12 mg 1% Magnesium  5 mg 1%  Phosphorus  11 mg 2% Potassium  107 mg   2% Zinc  0.04 mg 0%
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

v • d • e Apple cultivars Adams Pearmain • Ambrosia • Antonovka • Baldwin • Ben Davis • Blenheim Orange • Braeburn • Bramley • Cameo • Cortland • Cornish Gilliflower • Cox's Orange Pippin • Cripps Pink • Egremont Russet • Elstar • Empire • Esopus Spitzenburg • Flower of Kent • Fuji • Gala • Ginger Gold • Golden Delicious • Granny Smith • Gravenstein • Haralson • Honeycrisp • Idared • James Grieve • Jazz • Jonagold • Jonathan • Knobbed Russet • Macoun • McIntosh • Mutsu • Newtown Pippin • Northern Spy • Paula Red • Pink Pearl • Pinova • Rambo • Red Delicious • Rhode Island Greening • Ribston Pippin • Rome • Roxbury Russet • Spartan