The fruit of the apple tree, which originated in Asia minor and could be found in Europe by prehistoric times. The apple tree currently grows in many areas around the world, the primary requirement for its growth being a temperate climate. The United States, China, Britain, Ukraine, South Africa and South America are all major apple producers, and over 15,000 apple varieties can be found around the world.
In the northern hemisphere, apples are picked from mid-September to the end of October. When selecting at the market, apples should be firm, without blemishes or wrinkles, and red or yellow skinned varieties should not be too green. Apples can be stored in a ventilated room or in cold storage.
The apple can be sliced into thin rings and dried, pressed to make apple juice, stewed and cooked down to make jelly, sliced and baked into pies, distilled to make the liquor Calvados, made into numerous pastries and desserts, or used to stuff game birds like the Thanksgiving turkey.
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