1. Week 7 Friday 20 th March 2009 Mystery Fruit Answers

2. It’s apple week! Apples originated in the Middle East more than 4000 years ago; fruit and vines have been grown in the UK since the Roman occupation, with specially cultivated apple varieties spreading across Europe to France, arriving in England at around the time of the Norman conquest in 1066. The demise of rural areas and apple growing, commencing in the 13th century with the Black Death, the War of the Roses and repeated droughts, was reversed by Henry VIII who instructed his fruiterer, Richard Harris, to establish the first large scale orchards at Teynham, Kent, scouring the known world for the best varieties. For the next 300 years, most produce for the luxury market was sold in London. Old English, recorded in 1204, was the main dessert apple in England well into the 18th century, being grown alongside its culinary counterpart Costard, the salesman for the crop being known as a costermonger. The Victorian explorers found new varieties from all over the world and brought them to Brogdale, in Kent, so developing its orchards and gardens. Brogdale houses the National Fruit Collection - more than 3500 varieties - with over 30 acres of orchards, and the largest collection of apple varieties in the world (more than 2300 ­ dessert, culinary and cider). The UK apple market is now worth over £320M ­ but only 30-35% of the eating apples sold in the UK are home-grown. Supermarkets sell 70% of all apples in the UK. Many supermarkets sell about eight varieties ­ double the range they carried five years ago. The UK is the only country that grows apples especially for cooking. More than 140,000 tonnes (£78M) of Bramley apples are sold annually, with the fresh market (95%) still dominating supplies to the consumer. Can you tell which variety of apple it is you have tasted?

3. Fruit 1 – Braeburn Apple Braeburn is one of the most important commercial apple varieties. It originated in New Zealand in the 1950s, and by the last decades of the 20th century had been planted in all the major warm apple- growing regions of the world. Braeburn accounts for 40% of the entire apple production of New Zealand. The Braeburn apples you tasted today grew in France.

4. Fruit 2 – Granny Smith Apple Granny Smith is one of the most widely grown commercial apples. Known for its green colour, sharp flavour and firm texture. It requires a warm situation to be grown successfully in the UK. Perhaps the most instantly recognisable of all apple varieties and one of the most widely known, Granny Smith is also one of Australia's most famous exports. It originated in Australia. The Granny Smith apples you tried today grew in France.

5. Fruit 3 – Pink Lady Apple Pink Lady® apples are the highest quality apples in the orchard. No other apple is raised with more love than a Pink Lady® because it grows on the tree for longer than any other apple. This additional nurturing means a Pink Lady® apple develops unique traits: a vivid pink blush skin which makes them especially delicious, a perfect sweet/tangy balance and a hint of effervescence. Versatile as well as good for you, Pink Lady® apples have a natural sweetness, so they are great for using in recipes suitable for all the family. Pink Lady® apples are a premium apple so only the highest quality can become a Pink Lady®. This means that every time you buy you know you are getting a superior apple Almost half of the vitamin C content of an apple lies just under its skin, so it's good to eat the skin as well. The Pink Lady apples you ate today grew in the U.S.A.

6. Will you be able to guess the fruits next week? The answers will be online from break time on Friday.