Apple

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, and the most widely known of the many members of genus malus that are used by humans. Most apple trees are grown from cuttings taken from healthy trees of the fruit variety the farmer wants. These cuttings are then grafted to the roots of other apple trees (rootstocks) which are really good at growing - for example, they resist temperature extremes, pests and diseases. However, the fruit grown on these trees will be of the same variety as those from which the cuttings were taken. This method of combining the good characteristics of two trees helps the grower to gain both a strongly growing and good fruiting tree to maximise the crop. An apple tree will start to bear fruit at about 3 years of age, depending on the variety.
the colour of the fruit, ease of picking and firmness tells you when an apple is ready to be harvested. Currently, apples for the fresh market are picked by hand as mechanical harvesters can damage the fruit and the trees.
apples bought out of season will have been ‘cool stored’, which means stored in a cool environment where the oxygen levels have been slightly adjusted. This slows the natural maturing process so that apples can be kept for several months and still maintain their quality.