The History of Granny Smith Apples

Granny Smith Apples are thought to be a cross between a cultivated apple and a crab apple. According to legend, they were created when Maria Ann “Granny” Smith was cooking with French crab apples in her farmhouse kitchen outside of Sydney, Australia. She threw the remains outside into what was essentially a compost pile. In 1868, she discovered that a chance seedling was growing out of the pile. She nurtured the tree and it eventually bore very flavorful fruit, so she decided to propagate and began growing more of the new apples. Although she passed away shortly after, her unique apples had already become popular among local growers and they continued cultivating the trees. Eventually, after winning the prize for “Best Cooking Apple” at the Castle Hill Agricultural and Horticultural Show in the 1890s, the apples caught on nationally in Australia. More farmers than ever began cultivating the variety, and around 1895, the Department of Agriculture recommended the apples for export, in part due to their late picking season and long shelf life. Having picked up the name Granny Smith in honor of their original grower, the apples were introduced to the UK in the 1930s. It wasn’t until the 1970s that Granny Smith apples reached the United States, but they soon became so popular that American growers began cultivating the variety domestically. Today, Granny Smith apples are popular all over the world and consistently rank as one of the most beloved varieties in the United States (they are especially popular for making apple pie).