Must've Been a Bad Apple

Experimental Starter: Applesauce

While trying to get my sourdough starters to grow, I have wondered if the fruit used in my experimental starter had anything to do with its slow, basically nonexistent, progress. Many of you have probably eaten Mott's applesauce at some point in your life. After doing a bit of research, I found that Granny Smith apples are used in the applesauce I mixed into my experimental starter. I found a really interesting article on the genetic makeup and origins of domesticated apples. I will be using information from that article in this post and providing the link if you would like to check out some of the data yourself! If you would like to learn more about the history and genetics of domesticated apples, more specifically, Granny Smith apples, I suggest you read this post :) 

So many apples, so many locations, so many uses! 

There are various types of wild apples that have originated in different areas around the world. The apples that we eat today are called Malus domestica. The Granny Smith apple, the type used in my applesauce, is a cultivar of this species with the name Malus domestica 'Granny Smith.' This cultivar is known for its strong, usually sour taste, and is one of the most popular choices of apples used for baking. First, I would like to begin with some information pertaining to the history and origin of Malus domestica. I will also be sharing some interesting facts about the cultivars that came about later on! 

The wild species of apples known as Malus sieversii originated near Kazakhstan in Central Asia and was first used by societies around the year 8000 B.C. Apples were first domesticated by the Persians and were soon found in other areas such as Rome and Greece. By this time, there were already several different varieties being grown and used in many ways. The article I previously mentioned describes and summarizes research that was conducted on the genetic makeup of domesticated apples using microsatellite markers and PCR amplification. By analyzing the genetic differentiation between the species used in this study, researchers were able to confirm that Malus domestica resulted from Central Asia's Malus sieversii. The authors of this article also concluded that the domesticated apple resulted from thousands of years of evolution rather than from a single event. Apples in general are native to temperate regions around the globe. You may want to take a look at the image below that has these temperate regions shaded in blue to see what general areas apples are native to. 


The Silk Road played an important role in spreading different varieties of apples among Eurasia. The map below may help you visualize how apples were spread throughout different areas. 


Apples have been used in many areas and cultures by many different groups for a variety of reasons. For example, wild apples and domesticated apples have been a source of food all over the world for both humans and livestock. Apples also hold great significance in Greek mythology and religious significance for many Christians. As a result, the apple has widely been known as "the forbidden fruit." In many areas, apples have also been used medicinally to treat gastrointestinal issues and to make apple cider. 

Granny Smiths and Applesauce

It is believed that apples were first used to make applesauce during the 1700's. Although many types of apples are used to make applesauce, the specific type of apples in my experimental sourdough starter are the Granny Smith cultivar. This cultivar originated in Australia in 1868 and is named after Maria Ann Sherwood, a well-known orchardist. The Granny Smith apple was first introduced to the United Kingdom in the 1930's and later made its way to the United States in the early 1970's. Personally, I prefer sweeter apples such as Gala apples and Golden Delicious, but there are many advantages to using the Granny Smith apple in baking recipes. Maybe this just wasn't the best type to put into my sourdough starter... who knows?

Links to Articles and Other Helpful Websites

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3349737/
https://www.asec.purdue.edu/apple_genomics/history.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/food/the-plate/2014/07/22/history-of-apples/#close
https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/fruit/granny-smith-apples
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/granny-smith-the-apple-that-sydney-gave-the-world-20200416-p54km7.html

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