General Information
A chance seedling found near Parker, Wash. in 1968. Criterion is a light yellow apple of Red Delicious shape. Under ideal cultural conditions, including low nitrogen level and thinning to obtain size, it has a good mild flavor and a firm texture.
This is a good apple for eating out of hand, or for making applesauce or pies. Its flesh is slow to brown after it’s cut.
History
The history of apple consumption dates from Stone Age cultivation in areas we now know as Austria and Switzerland.
In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage; catching it was acceptance.
Folk hero Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) did indeed spread the cultivation of apples in the United States. He knew enough about apples, however, so that he did not distribute seeds, because apples do not grow true from seeds. Instead, he established nurseries in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
