Apples

WHAT ARE APPLES?

An apple is a round tree fruit which has crisp white flesh, with red veins. The skin colour of an apple can vary from yellow to green to red. An apple is a pome fruit, as is a pear. A pome fruit has multiple seeds protected by a core. There are over 100 varieties of apples grown in North America. The varieties grown for BC's commercial production are Red and Gold Delicious, McIntosh and Spartan. Newer varieties now being widely planted include Jonagold, Gala, Braeburn and Fuji.

WHERE ARE APPLES PRODUCED IN BC?

About 98% of BC apples are produced in the Okanagan-Similkameen valleys. The hot dry weather is ideally suited to growing Red and Golden Delicious apples. High sunlight and temperature levels are ideal for apple colouring and yield. The low rainfall level reduces the impact of disease. Most orchards are on slopes near lakes which moderates the temperatures and reduces the risk of winter injury and spring frost. Apples are also grown on Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley and Kootenay areas.

HOW MANY APPLES DO WE PRODUCE?

BC produces about 30% of the apples grown in Canada. The total quantity ranges from 136,000 tonnes to 195,000 tonnes . This amounts to more than 1 billion apples. British Columbians consume 25% of the apples grown in BC. That's about 75 to 100 apples per person per year. The value of BC apples is about 80% of all BC tree fruit production.

HOW ARE APPLES PRODUCED?

Apples are grown in orchards. Apple growing has become a specialized science known as pomology. An apple tree is composed of two parts: the cultivar (fruit-bearing part of the tree) and the rootstock. Both cultivar and rootstock are selected for specific site conditions. The cultivar is grafted onto the rootstock. Grafting involves placing a short shoot of a dormant cultivar into the rootstock. The tongue and groove union is then wrapped with tape and allowed to grow. Caring for an orchard requires planting trees; pruning; fertilizing; controlling weed growth, insects, and other pests; watering; and replanting trees to ensure the orchard is always healthy. Apple trees must be cross-pollinated. When the trees start to bloom, orchardists place beehives in the field to ensure pollination. It is important not to spray an orchard at this time as honey bees are very sensitive to insecticides. As small apples start to grow, some are thinned so that trees do not try to produce too many. The trees will also do this naturally during the June drop.

Apples are harvested in from August to October. Some indicators that apples are ready for harvest include their seed coats turning brown, the flesh texture turning from tough and pulpy to crisp and juicy and the skin colour turning from green to yellow or red. Apples that are to be eaten fresh are hand picked into picking bags hung from the shoulder. These bags are carefully emptied into wooden bins which hold 350 to 400kg.

WHAT DOES AN APPLE LOOK LIKE WHEN I USE IT?

About two-thirds of the apples grown are eaten as fresh fruit. Processed apples are used for fresh and frozen apple juice, sauce, cider and vinegar. Apples can be dried, made into apple leather, or used as pie filling.

Apples are about 85% water. They contain a variety of essential minerals and vitamins. They are about 12% natural sugar or fructose. Fructose is a water-soluble sugar found in all ripe fruit. Because of the solubility of fructose, the body does not have to convert it into sugar before use, therefore, making apples a source of instant energy. Apples are a high source of pectin, a soluble fibre that can absorb more water than any other bulking agent.

Apples clean the digestive system. Eating an apple cleans the teeth and massages the gums, removing more bacteria than two three-minute brushings followed by a gargle. Scientists have proven that apple eaters have fewer headaches, intestinal disorders, colds, respiratory problems and illnesses associated with the nervous system.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE APPLES LEAVE THE FARM?

Two-thirds of the apple crop is sold fresh. Apples are either sold directly right after harvest or taken to the packinghouse where they are stored, graded and packed into 18kg boxes and sometimes into smaller bags. Packinghouses use modern equipment and computers but still rely on hand labour. Apples are shipped to North American markets by truck and to other markets by boat. At the retail outlet apples are either sold already bagged or sold individually or in bulk by weight.

The rest of the crop is processed. Apple juice is the most popular form of processed apples. To make apple juice, apples are washed and ground to a pulp. The juice is squeezed out and filtered. The juice is pasteurized, which means it is heated to kill any harmful bacteria.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO APPLE GROWERS FACE?

BC is internationally recognized as the North American leader in adoption of modern technology. Fruit growers have had to modernize their growing methods to remain competitive in the world. Many of the old orchards consisted of big apple trees planted large distances apart. Today, many orchardists have switched to high density plantings. These orchards have smaller trees planted much closer together. For example, older orchards might have 80 trees per hectare. High density orchards can have as many as 1500 to 12,000 trees per hectare. High density planting produces apples that produce fruit earlier, produce larger crops and are easier to harvest. Growers have planted different varieties of apples which are more popular in the international markets.

WHO'S INVOLVED IN PRODUCING APPLES?

• Orchard owners and managers
• Orchard labour
• Apiarists
• Packinghouse employees
• Processing plant employees
• Truckers, dispatchers
• Sales and advertising staff
• Fertilizer, pesticide and equipment dealers
• Box, bin and pallet manufacturers
• Packinghouse construction, management and labour employees
• Government and university researchers
• Inspectors

The apple industry is a major employer in the Okanagan Valley. Each year, 7% of the labour force is employed by the apple industry. About 4800 work in the orchards, 2500 in packinghouses and 1000 are hired as seasonal workers.

Interesting Fact About Apples:

Apples are the most valuable edible horticulture crop in BC. About 75% of all BC orchard land is planted in apples.

Contacts and other resources:

• BC Fruit Growers' Association
• BC Fruit Packers
• BC Tree Fruits
• InfoBasket: Your Portal to Agri-Food Information on the Internet
• Tree Fruit Information - BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries