Every Day Is Special: August 19 – Apple Spas in Russia

August 19 – Apple Spas in Russia

Posted on August 19, 2016

The word “spas” roughly translates to “savior.” I've written about the Russian holidays Honey Spas and Nut Spas, earlier, but this Spas day is the most important of the three.

Harvesting and eating apples is the reason for the season!

Did you know...?

Apple seeds contain a compound that is poisonous – cyanide – although you'd have to eat a LOT of seeds to be affected! Plus, the seeds have a protective coating that probably means it would go through your digestive tract with the cyanide compound remaining safely inside.

There are thousands of varieties of apples! About 2,500 varieties are grown in the U.S., and about 7,500 varieties are grown throughout the world.

(But only about 100 varieties are grown commercially in the U.S.)

When it comes to apple production, “We're Number 2, we're Number 2!” The United States is second in apple production – but China produces more than 8 times as many apples!!!

(Turkey and Poland are Numbers 3 and 4.)

Washington is by FAR the biggest apple producer in the U.S. As a matter of fact, almost 2 out of every 3 apples grown in the U.S. are grown in Washington state!

Since I live in California, and I know a lot of places where apples are grown, I was wondering if we were one of the top two or three producers of apples. But actually, California is fourth fifth in the nation.

Try making fun things to eat using peanut butter, mini-marshmallows, grapes, or yogurt-covered almonds. Here are some apple frogs and some apple smiles.

Here are more apple-y things to enjoy.

By the way, here in my neck of the woods, apples aren't ready for picking until September and October, but I guess that depends on local sun and even more on local weather! Since Russia is the largest nation on Earth, apples must be ready SOMEwhere there in August!