Stone fruit

Properties: Stone fruit

Under the term stone fruit, all fruit varieties that form stones are grouped together. Known representatives are the apple and pear, but also the dog rose, quince, and medlar belong to stone fruits.

Origin: Stone fruit

The exact origin of stone fruits is not known, as it is a very old cultivated plant. However, apples and pears have been known in Europe for thousands of years and were cultivated by humans.

Apples originally come from Central Asia and over time were introduced and grown by people in other parts of the world. Pears probably originate from the Caucasus and were also brought and grown by people in other parts of the world.

Uses: Stone fruit

Storage: Stone fruit

Pome fruits like apples and pears should be stored cool and dry, preferably at temperatures between 1 and 4°C. They should not lie directly next to each other as spoilage can spread faster that way. A cold cellar or a refrigerator compartment is most suitable. It is also advisable to consume or dispose of damaged or bruised fruits quickly to prevent the spread of spoilage.

Health: Stone fruit

Season of Stone fruit:

The season for stone fruits extends from about August to November, depending on the variety and location. Among the known types of stone fruits are apples, pears, quinces, and Nashi pears.

 

Stone fruit taste: sweet-sour

Pome fruits, especially apples, belong to the most popular fruit varieties among Germans. Pome fruits are very versatile in use. They can be eaten fresh. However, they can also be cooked or juiced. From pome fruits, juice, soups, jams, or jellies can be made.

Differentiation: Fruit and Vegetables

Generally, a distinction is made between fruit and vegetables. This differentiation is not always correct from a biological perspective. It rather represents a cultural distinction. A tomato counts as a vegetable, an apple as fruit. A rough distinction is that vegetables mainly come from annual plants, while fruits originate from perennial plants. Under a perennial plant, one generally understands a plant that can live longer than two years, regardless of how often it blooms or bears fruit. Moreover, fruit usually has a higher sugar content than vegetables and can generally be eaten raw.

However, there are clear botanical distinctions between fruit and vegetables. Fruit develops from a fertilized flower. Vegetables, on the other hand, do not originate from flowers but from other plant parts. From a botanical perspective, tomatoes would have to be counted as fruits since they also develop from fertilized flowers. Tomatoes come from annual plants and have no high sugar content, which is why they are classified as vegetables in everyday life. Rhubarb, on the other hand, is considered fruit even though it is actually a leaf stalk and thus technically a vegetable. The cultural classification therefore takes precedence over the botanical one.

There are numerous varieties of fruit. They usually come from breeding and have various characteristics, for example regarding appearance. Besides relatively new breeds, there are also old, traditional fruit varieties known as heirloom varieties. These did not develop from specific breeding but through their agricultural use. “Heirloom varieties” are also referred to as noble varieties or farmer's fruit.

Pome Fruit Species and Varieties

The most important pome fruit species in Germany include the apple (Malus sylvestris), pear (Pyrus communis), quince (Cydonia oblonga), or hawthorn (Rosa canina). There are further, less significant pome fruit species for consumption such as medlar (Mespilus germanica), service tree (Sorbus domestica), rowanberry (Sorbus aucuparia), and wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis).

Generally, wild fruit varieties are distinguished from cultivated ones. Most of these varieties are not grown but occur naturally, such as the hawthorn. Only a very small number of varieties enter trade, which must have certain characteristics: they need to be storable, robust, and should not be prone to rotting.

• The apple: At the end of the 18th century, there were approximately 20,000 apple varieties worldwide, with around 2,300 in Prussia alone. This number has drastically decreased. Today, only about 1,500 apple varieties can be found throughout Germany, of which only 30 to 40 are directly marketed. Only about 60 cultivated apple varieties are economically relevant. Some well-known varieties include Jonagold, Elstar, Braeburn, or Granny Smith.
• The pear: While there are fewer and fewer apple varieties, the number of pear varieties has increased over recent history. In France, around 300 pear varieties were known in the 17th century. By the 19th century, this had risen to about 1,000 varieties. Today, there are approximately 5,000 pear varieties worldwide. Only a few pear varieties are cultivated. Even fewer pear varieties enter trade. Well-known varieties include Conference, Abate Fetel, Williams Christ, or Clapps Favorite.
• The quince: There are about 700 quince varieties worldwide. These are so-called chance seedlings and not targeted crosses. The Astheimer Pearl Quince is well known. In Unterfranken's Astheim, the largest collection of cultivated quinces in Germany can be found with over 100 varieties.

The Plant Morphology of Pome Fruits

The fruit of pome fruit plants is referred to as apple fruit across all species. This designation is related to the appearance of so-called false fruits that develop in the flowers. This happens when the fruit leaves are enveloped by the growing flower base. The balgy fruit leaves grow together. From this, the fruit develops later on. Initially, however, a so-called false fruit forms. It is a parchment-like, elastic core shell. Inside this false fruit, there are five balgy fruits, i.e., former fruit leaves, with soft seeds. Around it, during fruit ripening, the flesh of the fruit forms through the growth of the flower axis.

Pome Fruit Storage

Pome fruits can retain their quality almost unchanged for months if stored correctly. Especially apples are very long-lasting and thus available throughout the year on the market. There are four different storage levels for pome fruits:

• A natural storage refers to a fresh-air storage, which can be a cool cellar with high air humidity.
• A cool storage is created by a cooling machine that maintains a specific temperature at a constant level according to the pome fruit variety. This slows down and delays the ripening process. In addition, a humidification system is needed for a cool storage to prevent drying out of the pome fruits.
• In Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage, not only temperature and air humidity but also oxygen and carbon dioxide are kept at constant levels. This type of storage also aims to slow down the ripening process.
• In Ultra Low Oxygen (ULO) Storage, the oxygen content in the air is drastically reduced, reaching just the minimum level required for ripening activity. The ripening process is thus extremely slowed down.