August 19 – Apple Spas in Russia

nPostednon August 19, 2016

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nThenword “spas” roughly translates to “savior.” I’ve writtennabout the Russian holidays Honey Spas and Nut Spas, earlier, but this Spasnday is the most important of the three.

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nHarvestingnand eating apples is the reason for the season!

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nDidnyou know…?

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nApplen seeds contain a compound that is poisonous – cyanide – althoughn you’d have to eat a LOT of seeds to be affected! Plus, the seedsn have a protective coating that probably means it would go throughn your digestive tract with the cyanide compound remaining safelyn inside.

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

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

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

(Turkey andn Poland are Numbers 3 and 4.)

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nWashington 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!

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

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nTrynmaking fun things to eat using peanut butter, mini-marshmallows,ngrapes, or yogurt-covered almonds. Here are some apple frogs and somenapple smiles.

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nHerenare more apple-y things to enjoy.

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nBynthe way, here in my neck of the woods, apples aren’t ready fornpicking until September and October, but I guess that depends onnlocal sun and even more on local weather! Since Russia is the largestnnation on Earth, apples must be ready SOMEwhere there in August!