Apple is one of the few fruits with a wide variety of tastes. Varieties vary in terms of ripening, fruit stiffness. And there is no need to talk about taste. A variety of flavors make apple varieties unlike each other. Of great importance is the amount of sugar in the fruit.
Sweet and Sour Apple Varieties
The taste of apples depends largely on the ratio of sugar to acid. It has a special name - sugar-acid coefficient. For dessert apples, it should be at least 20-34. It has been observed that southern varieties are generally sweeter than middle-range apples. Acids in the south - about 0.3%, sugar - up to 11%; in the more northern - 0.7%, sugar - 9%. But varieties with a predominance of sugar over acids can be found among representatives of any climatic zone.
Some of them are of ancient selection (Arkad yellow, Korobovka, Medok, Mironchik). And there are new ones created relatively recently. This is Medunitsa, Cypress, Candy, Scarlet Sweetness. Breeders specially grow these varieties, knowing that they have a large audience.
Sweet varieties of the middle strip
Among the varieties of apples of the middle strip, honey apples Melba, Dream, Oktyabrenok, Slavyanka, Lobo, Saffron Pepin are considered sweet. In their fruits - about 10% sugar. It is even more in the fruits of the varieties Narodnoye, Rosy excellent, Vityaz, Bessemyanka Michurinskaya, Orlik (11% or more). And the amount of sugar in such varieties as Pamyat Michurina and Antonovka dessert, exceeds 12%.
Useful properties of apples
Honey apples contain a large amount of vitamin C. In 100 g of its pulp 20 mg. Vitamin helps to strengthen the immune system, the restoration of the forces of a weakened body.
Acids found in apples of all kinds interfere with the process of decay in the intestines. A large amount of fiber helps regulate the activity of the digestive tract.
In order for the heart to fulfill its functions as long as possible, it needs potassium. In apples of this element - almost 300 mg per 100 g. Iron in apples takes part in the formation of red blood rings. There is chromium, magnesium, manganese.
The amount of nutrients depends on the variety of apples and the conditions in which they ripened. But in any case, there are much more of them than in other fruits.
Ripening time
In order to constantly provide the body with valuable elements and substances contained in apples, you need to stretch the period of their consumption for longer. For this, trees of different ripening periods are planted.
All varieties of apple trees are divided:
- On the summer, ripening in July - early August. Apples of these varieties are eaten immediately after ripening. They can lie for about a month. Shelf life can be slightly extended by hiding them in a cool place.
- Autumn varieties of apples ripen in late August - early September. You can store them no more than 3 months.
- Winter apples are removed from the branches at the end of September. They are kept in a cool place until February.
- Late winter varieties ripen in late October. Remove them until ripe and lay in storage. Gradually they reach a state of ripeness, as evidenced by a change in color and consistency. They can be stored until the end of March, or even April.
Medoc
The tree of this grade is low. Crohn is rare, rounded in shape. Fruits are yellow in color, with a red blush, weighing about 40 g have a round-conical shape.
Sugar content - 13%. The tree is resistant to frost. The same name has a new columnar variety. But this is a completely different Medoc.
Korobovka (Medunichka, Skorospelka)
The old variety, bearing fruit not earlier than the 7th year. Resistant to frost, almost not affected by scab. Each of the names speaks about the qualities of the variety. Acid is almost not felt in its fruits, but there is a candy honey flavor. To some, he seems even a little bland. The precocious variety is called because of the ripening period. A boxing - for the small weight of apples (40 g). Previously, these honey apples were sold not by weight, but by whole boxes. Fruits are yellow with red stripes. During ripening, they become transparent, if you look at the apple against the sun, its seeds are visible.
They are not saved for a long time. You can prepare for the winter by making jam. To prepare a delicious compote, dried honey apples are used. The recipe is simple: 200 g of apple slices are washed with boiling water, poured with 2 liters of water, boiled for 10 minutes. Insist until it cools.
Honey (Lungwort)
The variety was bred by MSU breeders. It can be grown in regions where the temperature drops to -40 degrees. But he feels better in the south. Begins to bear fruit 4 years after planting. Summer variety of high productivity - Lungwort (honey apple). The description suggests that the fruits are large, about 130 g. The color of the fruit is yellow-green, with brown stripes. The shape is flat-round, conical.
Lungwort - honey apples (varieties are different), the fruits of which ripen together in late August. Do not crumble. They are kept fresh for two months. Used to make juice, eat more fresh. If the tree grows in the shade, then the fruits ripen gradually, not all together.
The tree is tall with a pyramidal crown. The root system is branched. The roots are not afraid of the close occurrence of groundwater. Leaves are dull green in shape, slightly different in shape from ordinary apple. The plate in the center of the sheet has a bend.
Lungwort - honey apples (varieties are listed in the article), unpretentious to growing conditions. Resistant to major diseases. This variety of apples (honey) is almost not damaged by pests. Growing a tree does not require much effort.
A tree is planted in loamy soil. It passes water well and at the same time holds it. The place to choose is sunny. The distance between neighboring seedlings should be at least 5 m. After all, the crown of the tree is wide.
For a month or two months, a pit is prepared for planting. Its size should be two times larger than the diameter of the root system of the seedling. The soil is mixed with fertilizers and poured into the bottom of the pit with a slide. The root of the seedling is installed on it so that its root neck protrudes above the ground by at least 7 cm. You can not bury it in the ground.
A support is placed next to the tree, to which it will be tied for several years. This will protect the tree from damage by the wind and help form an even trunk. Bury a hole. Water the seedling with several buckets of water.
The trunk circle is mulched. The first year you need to carefully ensure that the soil under the tree does not dry out. But you do not need to fill it. Subsequently, watered only in dry years. After all, an adult tree has its roots in the water layers and provides itself with moisture. No more than 5 buckets of water are poured under one tree.
The main disadvantage of the variety is the need to constantly cut the crown of the tree, removing excess shoots. It is especially difficult to do this when the apple tree grows. Formative pruning is carried out at the end of winter or early spring, when the threat of severe frosts passes.
Fertilizer trees
In early spring, the tree is fertilized with sodium humate. In the fall, phosphorus and potassium are added. This will help to transfer the winter well. But a number of events need to be held. In late autumn, manure is laid around the trunk. In winter, the seedling trunk is covered with snow. To prevent rodents from damaging the bark of the tree, they cover the trunk with spruce or ruberoid. In spring, the barrel is lime. This will help to avoid sunburn, destroy the larvae of some insect pests.
Arcade yellow
Arcade yellow - it tastes almost the same as honey apples, a variety. Features: the tree has an elongated sparse crown shape. Leaves slightly pubescent. The fruits are light yellow in the shape of a glass, sweet.
A variety of early ripening. Winter-hardy trees. Disadvantages - low productivity and poor resistance to scab disease.
Chinese early gold
One of the varieties bred by I. Michurin. Begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year after planting. Fruits are yellow, small.
New sweet varieties
Among the new sweet varieties can be noted Elena, an early summer variety. The fruits are beautiful, sweet, with a honey flavor. It comes into bearing in the second year. The fruits ripen a week earlier than White filling.
Belarusian sweet - late variety. The weight of one apple reaches 200 g. The pulp is loose, fragrant, with a pleasant acidity. The fruits hold well on the branches. Ripens in October, stored until January. The variety is resistant to scab.
Imported Honey Apples
Among the apples that you can buy in modern supermarkets, you can name apples with honey flavors Honey Crunch, Modi. Both varieties are quite sweet. Although not all consumers are willing to call them honey. The fruits are large, red, juicy, fairly hard. Well kept.
Honey crunch is sold in supermarkets at a price of about 300 rubles, which users consider very overpriced. Mody is sold for 80 rubles. per kilogram.