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Apple History
Believed to have originated in the mountainous area between the Black and Caspian Seas, the apple has long been the most popular fruit in North America. But did you know that as long as 3,000 years ago, apples were playing an important part in people's lives?
Folklore has it that an ancient Greek who wanted to propose to a woman would only have to toss her an apple. If she caught it, he knew she had accepted his offer. And newlyweds in the 7th century B.C. shared an apple as a symbol of a fruitful union.
European settlers to America brought with them their favorite fruits, which were much favored over the native crab apple. The colonists used apples to eat and also to make into apple cider, apple vinegar and hard cider. As the early colonists explored the frontier and moved from the eastern United States to the west, so did the apple. Now the apple is grown commercially in 36 states.
There have been many new varieties developed in the U.S., many of which Mott's uses for apple sauce and apple juice. Over thousands of years, the apple has changed and been developed into the many high-quality and good-tasting varieties that are familiar to you today.