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Granny Smith is a popular variety of green apples that are found on store shelves everywhere. In Russian-speaking countries they are also called “Granny Smith” or “Grani Smith”. This variety has won the hearts of gardeners with its unpretentiousness, and the exquisite taste of the fruits has made them popular in cooking for making pies and various desserts.
Granny Smith apples - a legendary variety
Properties of granny smith apples
Nutritional value and composition | Vitamins | Minerals
How much do Granny Smith apples cost (average price per 1 kg)?
Moscow and Moscow region.
150 rub.
The popular variety of Granny Smith apples, whose name literally means “Grandma Smith,” appeared back in 1868 in Australia. According to one legend, apples of this variety were bred by an elderly woman, Anna Maria Smith. Passionate about breeding, she successfully crossed a wild apple tree imported from France with a local variety of Australian apple tree.
The first country that the Granny Smith apple variety conquered was New Zealand, and in the 1930s it reached Foggy Albion. Today, Granny Smith apples enjoy stable popularity and are known throughout the world.
Ripe fruits are large in size (sometimes the weight can exceed 300 grams), but if there is a lack of heat, they are medium. Granny Smith apples are oval, round or truncated-conical in shape. The fruits are characterized by a green or yellowish-green color, while on the sunny side a cloudy red-brown tan is quite acceptable.
The dense and juicy flesh of Granny Smith apples is greenish-white in color. The main taste and consumer indicators of the fruits of this variety are a solid texture, a characteristic sweet and sour taste, a relatively small amount of sugar and an almost complete absence of aroma.
Meanwhile, they are widely used in cooking, in particular in the preparation of pies and salads, due to the fact that they do not darken for a long time when cut. The average calorie content of Granny Smith apples is about 47.5 kcal per hundred grams of fresh fruit.
Characteristics of the variety
The Granny Smith apple tree is a winter variety; its fruits ripen by the end of September - beginning of October, but in some regions this may occur a little later. Where the warm weather does not last long, the harvest may ripen closer to winter, and the taste and beneficial properties of the fruit will not be at the highest level.
Description of the tree
According to the description, the tree belongs to the genus of semi-dwarfs, its height is 2.5-3.5 m. The crown of Granny Smith apple trees is spreading and dense, it must be trimmed and shaped. The variety is considered to be of medium productivity, although if conditions are favorable, the yield can be high.
Basically, its peak occurs in the period starting from the 5th year after the tree was planted. Then you can harvest up to 15-20 kg of harvest from the apple tree. Fruiting period is 8–10 years.
Young trees grow quite quickly, but when they enter the fruiting period, the speed decreases. They can become capricious when the weather changes. This is usually expressed in the size, appearance and taste of the fruit.
For example, a too cold winter can result in deformed fruits that have a yellowish color instead of the standard bright green. Under the influence of the summer heat, the apples dry out and shrink.
Description of fruits
These apples are difficult to confuse with other varieties: they have a bright green, rich color and brownish inclusions. The peel of the fruit is quite dense and protects the pulp well from damage, so the variety tolerates storage and long-term transportation well.
The apple pulp is juicy and tender, with a sour taste, unlike the other popular and sweet Golden variety.
In general, the fruits are quite large: the average weight of one apple is 250-300 g. Its shape is oval or round.
Benefits and harms
Despite the fact that one such fruit weighs a lot, it also contains a fifth of the daily fiber requirement for a person. The benefits of eating apples of this variety are simply enormous: they have a positive effect on vision, hair, nails and skin, cleanse the blood, and reduce the risk of developing bronchial asthma.
It is difficult to overestimate their effect on the digestive system, the condition of the gums and teeth, as well as cleansing the intestines and removing heavy metals.
Regular consumption of Granny Smith apples is beneficial for the following categories of people:
- having skin diseases, incl. eczema;
- those suffering from rheumatism, anemia and gout;
- those who need to cleanse the blood as a result of hardening of blood vessels and low blood pressure;
- those on a diet, due to the low calorie content of the fruit;
- little children.
Granny Smith apples should not be consumed without proper precautions: in large quantities they can harm tooth enamel and can complicate the situation with existing gastritis or peptic ulcers. Hydrocyanic acid contained in the seeds of the fruit is considered poisonous and should not enter the body.
Compound
The fruits are 87% water and contain a huge amount of vitamins, especially P and B6. The calorie content of 100 g of apple is only 47 kcal. Description of BJU in fruits: proteins – 0.4 g, fats – 0.4 g, carbohydrates – 9.7 g. Glycemic index is 30 units.
Resistance to diseases and frosts
Although the Granny Smith variety has an average level of winter hardiness, it does not easily tolerate long periods of low temperatures. A temperate climate is considered optimal for an apple tree, when winter does not last long, and summer, on the contrary, is quite long, but not hot.
The variety's disease resistance is also average when it comes to diseases such as powdery mildew, moniliosis, and scab. Wood is less resistant to powdery mold and rust.
Benefits of Granny Smith apples
It is believed that the healthiest apples for humans are green varieties, which include Granny Smith apples. They are found on the shelves of shops and supermarkets at any time of the year. Moreover, it is almost impossible to confuse Granny Smith apples with other varieties: they are glossy, deep green in color, with hard skin and juicy, sour flesh.
The benefits of Granny Smith apples for human health lie in their composition. So, they consist of 87% water, while retaining a lot of useful vitamins and minerals with a minimum fat content. FYI: One Granny Smith apple contains five grams of fiber, which is twenty percent of a person's daily requirement.
In addition, the benefits of Granny Smith apples are obvious due to the fact that they perfectly quench hunger and thirst. And for those watching their figure, Granny Smith apples are also great, because they have a fairly low level of nutritional value.
Banana calories. Banana calories
It is impossible to judge unequivocally the calorie content of a banana, because there are a great many varieties that have different taste and nutritional characteristics. For example, banana chips will have a higher energy value than natural banana juice. Let's look at some types of bananas and products made from them found on store shelves.
Standard without peel
Bananas are recommended to be eaten after physical activity in the gym, as they are an excellent source of energy and quickly restore strength. Therefore, during the carbohydrate window, it can be tempting to eat the white, fleshy pulp. Just keep in mind that the calorie content of an unripe fruit is approximately 120 kcal per 150 g of net weight without peel. A blackened (overripe) fruit will already have about 180 kcal.
Dried
Dried banana has 5 times more calories than raw banana! It is suitable for a quick snack and instant satiation. But if you want to lose weight, you should give up dried bananas.
Chips
Thinly cut bananas, fried in palm oil with added sugar or honey to eat banana chips. There are more than 500 kcal per 100 g of product. It is not difficult to guess that this method of preparation will negatively affect your slimness due to the high content of carbohydrates and unhealthy fats. But a great mood and increased performance are guaranteed!
Unripe
The unripe fruit is considered one of the lowest in calories (about 70 kcal per 100 g). These bananas are green-yellow in color and have a pleasant aroma. More often they are used in cooking to prepare exotic dishes.
Overripe
It is difficult to maintain the freshness of already picked fruits at home. Even at the optimal temperature, black spots will soon appear on the peel, signaling that the fruit is overripe. This has both advantages - the pulp becomes more tender and sweet, and disadvantages - the calorie content reaches 125 kcal per 100 g.
"Baby" bananas
Mini bananas, no more than 12 cm in length, are reminiscent of its larger brothers, but still have a slightly different taste. But the calorie content of these babies is relatively low: 80-90 kcal. It is curious that residents of hot countries actively consume such bananas for food, and the large yellow varieties that are familiar to us are used as feed for livestock.
Plantain
A rare type of banana with green or gray-green peel and unsweetened pulp. Its energy value does not exceed 60 kcal, which is due to its low sugar content. Before consumption, plantains are usually fried, boiled or steamed.
Reds
Beneath their deep, bright red skin, Costa Rican bananas contain a ton of healthy vitamins and no fat at all. Red bananas are the leader in the amount of beta-carotene, which protects the body from viruses and bacteria, improves vision and skin condition. Red varieties are 1.5-2 times more caloric than green varieties, which makes them less attractive to slim women.
Banana juice
Rejoice the soul of the eternally losing weight! Only 48 kcal per 100 g! And we are not talking about store-bought juice, but about natural juice, squeezed using a juicer. It’s nice that almost all the beneficial properties of bananas are preserved in liquid form. Ideal, right?
Protection from diseases and pests
When signs of disease appear, special fungicides should be used.
The apple tree may get sick
In the first years, pests are dangerous: apple blossom beetle, weevils, scab, beetleworm, fruit rot, leaf roller.
- Spraying with chemicals is carried out during the periods of bud break and petal fall.
- Watering the soil for prevention is carried out from late April to September once every 1-2 months.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with Quick Pickled Apples
Description
The tree is fast-growing, especially in the first 5 years, low - from 2.5 to 3.5 m. Trunk diameter is 15 - 18 cm. The crown is medium-dense, pyramidal in shape. The shoots are medium-sized, round in cross section, compactly located, the bark is bare, brownish-brown. Lentils are small, light, round. Internodes are not long. The leaves are round, obovate, and rather large. The apex is smoothly pointed, the base is rounded, the edges are broadly wavy, serrated. The surface of the leaf blade is matte, green, the reverse side is gray-green. The petiole is normal in length and thickness, uncolored. The flowers are white and pink, about 5 cm in diameter.
The fruits of the Granny Smith apple tree are clearly recognizable. They have a regular round or truncated conical shape. The funnel is wide-conical, of medium depth, rustiness may be present. The saucer is not wide, of medium depth. Closed cup. The subcupal tube is small, wide, and cylindrical. The peduncle is of normal length and thickness. The skin is dense, smooth, shiny. The main color is bright green, there is no cover color, only a light tan may appear on the illuminated side, occupying a very small part of the surface. Subcutaneous dots are light, medium or large, clearly visible, numerous. The pulp is whitish-green, fine-grained in consistency, dense, prickly, crispy and very juicy. A cut apple does not darken for a long time in the air. The aroma is weak. The taste is excellent, sweet and sour, balanced, refreshing. True, some people find it sour, but during storage the sweetness becomes more pronounced. Taster rating: 4.4 points. According to reviews from gardeners in cool regions, the taste of apples is not good enough, most likely due to a lack of overall positive temperatures. The fruits are large. According to the State Register, an apple weighs 148 g, according to other sources - 180 - 200 g, maximum weight - 300 g. Due to the fact that 100 g of pulp contains no more than 50 kcal, fruits are used in dietary nutrition.
Features of the variety
Granny Smith apples are a winter variety because they ripen in the fall, late September to early October. Sometimes this happens earlier or later, it all depends on the climate. If warm weather is rare, then the crop ripens by winter, and the taste and benefits are not quite what they need.
The tree bears fruit regularly and abundantly. The harvest can be harvested over 8–10 years, and the richest can be obtained in 5–8 years. The trees are medium in size, grow quickly, their height is about 3.5 meters. The variety is grown all over the world, but it is demanding on conditions. Fruits are adversely affected by weather changes. Natural conditions determine the appearance of fruits, shape, size, taste. The best environment would be warm winters and cool summers. Apples are resistant to frost, but do not tolerate heat. On sunny days the fruits dry out. And because of the cold, they lose their rich color.
Description, photo
A distinctive feature of the variety is the apples themselves - a very rich green color, recognizable at first sight . Sometimes subcutaneous inclusions appear - brownish or brownish-red.
The fruits are covered with a dense peel that is resistant to injury and damage. The pulp of the fruit is also quite dense, but at the same time juicy and tender when bitten.
Being a natural semi-dwarf, apple trees of this variety are of medium height, growing quickly in the first years and slowing down after they begin to bear fruit.
The Granny Smith variety belongs to the winter group . The fruits ripen by the end of September and are suitable for long-term storage.
The variety is old, widespread almost all over the world and is cultivated in all climatic latitudes where an apple tree can be grown. It is moderately demanding, although the productivity and quality of the fruit largely depends on growing conditions and weather conditions.
Granny Smith apple tree.
Advantages and disadvantages
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