John Myers
Compare apples to pears to rhubarb
The apple – healthy top fruit
On average, each person eats around 20 kilos of apples a year. This makes the apple by far the most popular fruit in the country. In Germany alone there are over 2,000 different apple varieties – worldwide there are up to 25,000. The most popular varieties in this country are called Elstar, Jonagold, or Gala. The Elstar, bred by Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie, is a firm, very tasty apple. It can be used in many ways, both as a dessert apple and for cooking or baking. Jonagold, a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathan, originally comes from the USA. With its bright red-orange color and golden flesh, it is ideal as a table apple or for apple pie or apple strudel. Apples of the Gala variety are comparatively small, the flesh is firm, moderately juicy, and wonderfully sweet – a perfect snack for the school bag or a sweet addition to rice pudding!
Varieties such as Topaz, Braeburn, red Boskoop, or Jonagored are available from local cultivation in March. Braeburn and Jonagored are true “all-rounders” and are suitable as dessert apples or for further processing. Topas and Boskoop impress with their sweet and sour taste and are often used for baking.
