'Tis the season for apple picking and all the wonderful things that come with it: apple pie, apple sauce, apple butter, apple cider... Mmm.
Nothing beats driving out to an orchard on a crisp October day and coming home with a basket full of beautiful, ripe apples (or an empty basket and a massive tummy ache)! But we certainly aren't alone in our love of this savory autumn sweetness.
Growing Abroad
There are orchards all around the world dedicated to growing the most delicious apples. Today, A Moment of Science is going all the way to Japan to learn about their perfectly polished technique.
The ingredients for perfect Japanese apples are these three things: a careful eye, hard-working hands and plenty of patience.
The apple growing process begins in the spring. Farmers do what is called 'blossom thinning.' This is when they put on their gloves, climb up to the blossoms and begin picking away the outer four flowers, leaving the center ones to grow. This ensures that they will only be getting the biggest apples.
Read the entire article from our friends at A Moment of Science: "How to Grow The Perfect Apples"