Common Fruits of Temperate
Climates: Apple and Pear,
Stone Fruits, Berries
Pome Fruits: Apple, Pear,
and Relatives
Apples, pears, and quinces are closely related
members of the rose family, natives of
Eurasia that were domesticated in prehistoric
times. They are a kind of fruit known as a
pome (from the Latin for “fruit”). The fleshy
portion of a pome fruit is the greatly enlarged
tip of the flower stem. The remains of the
flower project from the bottom of the fruit,
and the few small seeds are protected in a
tough-walled core. Apples and their relatives
are climacteric fruit, and contain starch stores
that can be turned into sugar after harvest.
They generally keep well in cold storage,
though late-harvested fruit tend to develop
brown cores. Apples are generally sold ripe