#LockdownLearning
Being a teacher means having a room full of people discussing and questioning. During lockdown I miss that so I decided to pick something in my house to learn about. I highly recommend people try this.
I chose the humble apple...

Usually I buy local produce but this particular apple came in a gift basket. The label says France and a company logo (BlueWhale). Also some codes and I'm curious what they mean. Royal Gala apples are not my favourite (I love a Jazz Apple) but we will get to a taste test later...

I found BlueWhale! They sell a lot of apples. How much money do people make from growing and selling apples? This is a nice website. As a media teacher I find the layout and images visually appealing. One thing's for sure, I want to eat an apple now.

I found my apple! Royal Gala. Apparently this kind was imported from New Zealand around 1960 and is a cross between Kidd's Orange and Golden Delicious. That explains the colouring. I want to eat an apple now but I've named this one and it feels wrong to eat Apple McAppleton.

Thinking about how apples are crossed to make a new type I do think I'll look into apple varieties. Is there an apple family tree out there? A quick google tells me there are a LOT of apples. I wonder how many grew naturally and how many were crossed to make new varieties?

Apple McAppleton is very shiny. I know some foods have wax added to them. According to this website, the wax is food grade. I'm not sure how I feel about eating wax with my fruit. https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/wax-on-apples/ 

Experiment time! I saw a YouTube video of someone pouring hot water on an apple to see the wax. I'm no scientist but I'm going to give it a go. Forgive me Apple McAppleton, it's time to see the real you....

I have to admit I thought it was a joke but this looks like food grade wax. I'm a tiny bit grossed out but very curious. There are positive and negative articles online about fruit wax but many do say apples can be up to 1 year old when you buy them as they're often stored first.

I'm wondering if wax is for preservation but also to make the apple look fresh and tasty? Without his wax coating, Apple McAppleton looks a slightly different colour and definitely less shiny.

The time has come to fulfill your purpose Apple McAppleton. Let's take a closer look and what makes you an apple. I love the heart shape of apples. At some point I'd like to explore apples in art. This is starting to feel like a @LearningInDepth project. Love it!

I can confirm...Apple McAppleton was a tasty apple. But how often do we discard apple cores and how easy is it to grow an apple tree? People who know my love of gardening probably know where this is heading.

Apple McAppleton will live on!