Ever bamboozled by the numerous varieties of apples, or wonder where they came from or how they were named?  Well now that prime apple season is upon us, the following just might make your next trip to buy apples a little more interesting. 
 
Let's start with the ubiquitous Granny Smith.  A seedling first discovered in a compost heap near Sydney, Australia in the 1860's by Maria Ann Smith (and named for her), Granny Smith apples have an acidic flavor and are good for pies and in salads.  It was such a popular variety by the 1960's that the Beatles used it as their logo for their company 'Apple Records'. 
 
Rome Beauty is an heirloom variety which originally hailed from a seedling in Rome Township, Ohio (and is named for such) and was first introduced in 1816. It is mainly a cooking apple and is good for cakes and applesauce.  And the increasingly popular Fuji Apple, likely named for Mt. Fuji, was developed in Japan in the 1930's and is a cross between Red Delicious and a variety from the 1700's known as Ralls Janet.  Fujis are crisp and sweet flavored and are good for eating out of hand and in salads.  So enjoy the apple season and don't forget, an apple a day...