Apple is one of the few fruits with a wide variety of flavors. Varieties differ in terms of ripening, fruit hardness. And let's not even talk about taste. A variety of flavors make apple varieties different from each other. Of great importance is the amount of sugar in fruits.
Sweet and sour varieties of apples
The taste of apples largely depends on the ratio of sugar and acids. It has a special name - the sugar-acid coefficient. For dessert apples, it should be at least 20-34. It has been noticed that the southern varieties are generally sweeter than the apples of the middle lane. Acids in the southern - 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 old selection (Yellow Arcade, Korobovka, Medok, Mironchik). And there are new ones, created relatively recently. These are Lungwort, Cypress, Candy, Scarlet Sweetness. Breeders deliberately grow these strains knowing they have a large audience.
Sweet midrange varieties
Among the varieties of apples of the middle band are sweethoney apples Melba, Mechta, Oktyabryonok, Slavyanka, Lobo, Pepin saffron are considered. In their fruits - about 10% sugar. There is even more of it in the fruits of the varieties Narodnoe, Rosovoe 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. 100 g of its pulp contains 20 mg. Vitamin helps to strengthen the immune system, restore the strength of a weakened body.
The acids found in apples of any variety prevent the processes of decay in the intestines. A large amount of fiber helps to regulate the activity of the digestive tract.
In order for the heart to perform its functions for as long as possible, it needs potassium. In apples, this element is almost 300 mg per 100 g. The iron found in apples takes part in the formation of red blood rings. There are chromium, magnesium, manganese.
The amount of nutrients depends on the variety of apples and the conditions in which they ripened. But in any case, they are much more than in other fruits.
Ripening dates
In order to constantly provide the body with valuable elements and substances contained in apples, it is necessary to extend the period of their consumption for a longer period. To do this, trees of different ripening periods are planted.
All varieties of apple trees are separated:
- For summer, ripening in July - early August. Apples of these varieties are eaten immediately after ripening. They can lie for about a month. The shelf life can be slightly extended by storing 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 stored in a cool place until February.
- Late winter varieties ripen in late October. They are removed before ripening and laid 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.
Medok
The tree of this variety is low. The crown is rare, rounded. The fruits are yellow, with a red blush, weighing about 40 g, have a rounded conical shape.
Sugar content - 13%. The tree is frost resistant. The same name has a new columnar variety. But this is a completely different Medoc.
Korobovka (Medunichka, Early maturing)
An old variety that bears no earlier than the 7th year. Resistant to frost, almost not affected by scab. Each of the names speaks of the qualities of the variety. There is practically no acid in its fruits, but there is a candy honey flavor. To some, it even seems a little bland. The early maturing variety is called because of the ripening period. And Korobovka - for the small weight of apples (40 g). Previously, these honey apples were sold not by weight, but by whole boxes. The fruits are yellow with red stripes. During ripening, they become transparent, if you look at an apple against the sun, you can see its seeds.
They don't last long. You can prepare for the winter by making jam. Dried honey apples are used to make delicious compote. 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 down.
Honey (Lungwort)
The variety was bred by breeders of Moscow State University. It can be grown in regions where temperatures drop to -40 degrees. But he feels better in the south. Begins to bear fruit 4 years after planting. Summer high-yielding variety - Medunitsa (honey apple). The description says that the fruits are large, about 130 g. The color of the fruits is yellow-green, with brown stripes. The shape is flat-round, cone-shaped.
Lungwort - honey apples (varieties are different), the fruits of which ripen together at the end of August. Do not crumble. Keep fresh for two months. Used to make juice, more eaten 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. The leaves are dull green in color, slightly different in shape from ordinary apple ones. The plate in the center of the sheet has a curve.
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.
Plant a tree in loamy soil. She iswell passes water and at the same time retains it. The place must be chosen sunny. The distance between adjacent seedlings should be at least 5 m. After all, the crown of the tree is wide.
For a month or half a month they prepare a pit for planting. Its size should be twice as large as the diameter of the root system of the seedling. The soil is mixed with fertilizers and poured into a slide at the bottom of the pit. A seedling root is placed on it so that its root collar protrudes above the ground by at least 7 cm. It cannot be buried in the ground.
A support is being installed next to the tree, to which it will be tied for several years. This will protect the tree from wind damage and help form an even trunk. Burying a hole. Water the seedling with several buckets of water.
Mulch near the trunk circle. The first year you need to carefully monitor that the soil under the tree does not dry out. But you don't need to fill it up. Subsequently watered only in dry years. After all, an adult tree gets its roots to 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 trim 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 in late winter or early spring, when the threat of severe frost has passed.
Tree fertilization
In early spring, the tree is fertilized with sodium humate. In autumn, phosphorus and potassium are added. This will help you get through the winter well. But there are a number of other steps that need to be taken. In late autumn, manure is laid around the trunk. sapling trunk in wintercovered with snow. To prevent rodents from damaging the bark of the tree, they cover the trunk with spruce branches or roofing material. In the spring, the trunk is whitewashed with lime. This will help to avoid sunburn, destroy the larvae of some pests.
Arcade Yellow
Arcade yellow - it tastes almost like honey apples, variety. Features: the tree has an elongated sparse crown shape. The leaves are slightly pubescent. The fruits are light yellow, glass-shaped, sweet.
Early maturing variety. The trees are winter hardy. Disadvantages - low yield and poor resistance to scab disease.
Chinese golden early
One of the varieties bred by I. Michurin. Begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year after planting. The fruits are yellow, small.
New sweet varieties
Among the new sweet varieties, Elena, an early-summer variety, can be noted. The fruits are beautiful, sweet, with a honey flavor. Enters fruiting in the second year. The fruits ripen a week earlier than the White Bulk.
Belarusian sweet - late variety. The weight of one apple reaches 200 g. The pulp is loose, fragrant, with a pleasant sourness. 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 you can buy in today's supermarkets are honey flavored apples Honey Crunch, Modi. Both varieties are quite sweet. Although not all consumersready to call them honey. The fruits are large, red, juicy, rather hard. Well kept.
Honey crunch is sold in supermarkets at a price of about 300 rubles, which users consider very high. Modi is sold for 80 rubles. per kilo.
