McIntosh (apple) facts for kids
The McIntosh apple, also known as the McIntosh Red or simply the Mac, is a very famous type of apple. It's even the national apple of Canada! This apple has a mix of red and green skin. It tastes a bit tart and has soft, white flesh. McIntosh apples are ready to pick in late September.
For many years, especially in the 1900s, it was the most popular apple in places like Eastern Canada and New England. People love it because it's an "all-purpose" apple. This means you can eat it fresh or use it for cooking. Did you know that the first Apple Macintosh computers were named after this fruit? An Apple employee named Jef Raskin chose the name!
A farmer named John McIntosh found the very first McIntosh apple tree. This happened on his farm in Dundela, Upper Canada (which is now part of Ontario) in 1811. John and his family worked to grow more of these special trees. By 1835, they started selling the apples. The McIntosh apple became very popular in North America after 1900. Even though new types of apples like the Gala are now popular, the McIntosh is still one of the top 15 favorite apples in the United States.
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About the McIntosh Apple
The McIntosh apple is a very popular type of apple. It's especially well-liked in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. You can also find it selling well in parts of Eastern Europe.
What the Apple Looks Like
The McIntosh apple is usually small to medium in size. It has a round shape and a short stem. Its skin is red and green, and it's thin and easy to peel. The inside of the apple is white. Sometimes it might have a slight green or pink tint. The flesh is juicy, tender, and firm at first, but it gets soft quickly. Be careful, because McIntosh apples can bruise easily!
How People Use It
This apple is known as an "all-purpose" fruit. This means it's great for eating fresh, right off the tree. It's also excellent for cooking. Many people use it for desserts, like apple pie. It cooks faster than many other types of apples. If you're making apple juice, the McIntosh is usually mixed with other apples.
Storing McIntosh Apples
McIntosh apples grow best in cool places. They like cold nights and clear, sunny autumn days. If it's too warm, the apples might not get their best color or stay firm. They also tend to fall from the tree before they are ready to be picked.
You can store McIntosh apples for about two to three months in a regular cool place. However, they can get scald (brown spots) or become soft. They also don't like being stored in very cold temperatures. For longer storage, up to five to eight months, they are kept in special rooms. These rooms control the temperature and the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air.
Growing McIntosh Apples
McIntosh apples are mostly grown in Canada, the United States, and Eastern Europe. We don't know exactly which apple types are the "parents" of the McIntosh. Some people think it might be related to the Snow Apple or the Fall St Lawrence.
Protecting the Trees
McIntosh apple trees can get a disease called apple scab easily. If farmers don't spray the trees, the whole crop might not be good enough to sell. However, these trees are usually quite strong against other diseases. They don't often get fire blight or powdery mildew. They are also good at resisting some types of rust diseases.
New Apple Types from McIntosh
The McIntosh apple is very important for creating new types of apples. Scientists often use it to breed new varieties. A study in 1996 found that the McIntosh was a parent to 101 different apple types! That's more than any other apple used in breeding. It was especially popular for creating new apples in Canada, the United States, and Eastern Europe.
Some famous apples that came from the McIntosh include:
- The Macoun
- The Spartan
- The Cortland
- The Empire
- The Melba
History of the McIntosh Apple
Apple trees first came to Canada with French settlers way back in 1606. Over time, apple farming spread across the land.
The Discovery
The person who found the McIntosh apple was John McIntosh. He was born in 1777. In 1796, he moved from New York State to Upper Canada. He settled down as a farmer. In 1811, while he was clearing his land, he found some wild apple seedlings. He planted them near his house. One of these trees grew especially good apples! John's grandchildren even called them "Granny's apple" because their grandmother took such good care of the tree.
By 1820, John McIntosh was selling young trees from his special apple. But these new trees didn't always grow apples as good as the original.
Making it Popular
Around 1835, John McIntosh's son, Allan, learned how to do something called grafting. Grafting is a way to take a small piece of a tree and attach it to another tree. This makes sure the new tree grows the exact same kind of fruit as the original. With grafting, the McIntosh family could grow many trees that produced the same delicious apples.
Allan and his brother Sandy worked hard to grow and sell more of these apples. They started selling them in 1835. In 1836, the apple was officially named the "McIntosh Red." It became a big commercial product by 1870. The apple became even more popular after 1900, when new ways to protect apples from diseases were discovered. The original McIntosh tree was damaged by a fire in 1894. It stopped producing fruit in 1908 and finally died in 1910.
A person named William Tyrrell Macoun helped make the McIntosh apple famous in Canada. He worked at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. He said the McIntosh was "one of the finest appearing and best dessert apples grown." The Macoun apple, which is a mix of the McIntosh and another apple, was named after him.
The McIntosh apple became very important in Canada. By the 1960s, it made up 40% of all apples sold in Canada! Even though other apples like the Gala are now more popular, the McIntosh is still a very important apple for farmers in Ontario, Canada.
Cultural Importance
The McIntosh apple has been named the national apple of Canada. People even raised money to put up a special plaque near where the original tree grew in 1912. Later, other plaques and even a mural were put up to remember this important fruit.
The Apple Macintosh Computer
A person named Jef Raskin, who worked for Apple Inc., named the Macintosh line of computers after the McIntosh apple. He spelled it a little differently on purpose. He wanted to avoid any confusion with a company that made sound equipment called McIntosh Laboratory. Even with the different spelling, Apple had to get permission to use the name. They licensed the rights to the name in 1983 and bought the trademark in 1986.
Commemorative Coin
In 1995, the Royal Canadian Mint decided to make a special silver dollar coin. This coin was designed to celebrate the McIntosh apple. It shows three McIntosh apples and an apple blossom. The coin also has the name of the apple and the dates "1796 Canada Dollar 1996" on it. Many of these special coins were sold to collectors.
See also
In Spanish: McIntosh para niños
