• • Apples have been part of the human diet since at least 6,500 BC.
• • The Pilgrims planted the first US apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• • The US produces 2,500 different varieties of apples but only 100 are used commercially.
• • Apples are grown in all 50 states.

Sources: University of Illinois Extension, California Apple Commission, Vermont Apples

Author, poet and naturalist Henry David Thoreau called the apple "the noblest of all fruits" and it's no wonder; apples are truly a work of nature. Whether red, yellow, pink, green, the best way to judge an apple is by its firmness to the touch, not its color.

• • The best apples are free of bruises. To keep them that way, place them gently into the refrigerator bin or cellar basket.
• • Store apples in a cool place, and refrain from washing them until just before serving to avoid spoilage.
• • Serving tip: rub sliced apples with lemon to prevent the flesh from darkening when it meets the air.