Apples weren't always big, juicy and sweet — ancient ones were small and bitter

Wild apples contain genetic diversity that can be reintroduced into domesticated varieties. (Shutterstock)

When biting into a large, sweet apple from the local grocery store, it’s easy to take the characteristics of our modern fruits for granted. We don’t often consider the long history of migration and improvement, both random and intentional, that has led to the seemingly perfect apples we enjoy today. Were the apples of our past always delicious? Where did our apples come from and how much have they changed?

The origins of the apple can be traced back to the Tian Shen mountains in modern day Kazakhstan, where the wild ancestor of apples, Malus sieversii, still grows in forests today. The largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty, derives its name from the Kazhak word Almatau meaning “apple mountain.”