Red vs Green Apples: Difference and Comparison

There is a very famous quote or idiom in the English language that – An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

This means that a regular intake of at least one apple a day keeps an individual healthy and away from diseases. There are vivid varieties of apples found around the world.

It is a very popular fruit and high in nutritional content.

Key Takeaways

1. Red apples have a higher level of anthocyanins than green apples.
2. Green apples have a higher level of fiber than red apples.
3. Red apples are sweeter than green apples due to their higher sugar content.

Red Apples vs Green Apples

The difference between Red Apples and Green Apples is that red color apples are that the taste of the red apples is sweet and juicy with thinness in the peel of the skin. The presence of nutrient content like – Iron, Magnesium, Protein, etc., is less in the red apples. Whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the taste of the green apples is sour along with the thickness of the peel of the skin. The nutrient content of the green apple is more.

Red Apples or Red Delicious Apples are the same variety known so far. It is the most common variety that has been eaten.

The origin of the variety took place in 1872 in Peru, Iowa, United States. It was cultivated for a competition by farmer Jesse Hiatt.

The taste of the fruit is very sweet and juicy, along with the thin peel over it.

Green Apples or Granny Smith Apples are one of the same variety. It is the third most loved and popular variety in the United States of America.

The taste of the fruit is a bit sour and feels tart. It also contains an acidic nature.

The origin of the variety is the continent of Australia. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Red Apples	Green Apples
Taste	They are sweet and juicy.	They are sour.
Skin	Thin	Thick
Origin	Peru, Iowa, United States	Australia
Pigment	Anthocyanin	Chlorophyll
Nutrition Value	They have fewer nutrients.	They have more nutrients.
Protein and Sugar	The protein content is less, and the sugar content is more.	The protein content is 63% more, and the sugar content is less.

What are Red Apples?

Red Apples are one of the varieties among those of 7500 known varieties of apples in the world. These are also popular as the ‘Red Delicious Apples.’

The variety of this apple was first cultivated by a small farmer Jesse Hiatt in Peru, Iowa, United States, in the year 1872. 

It was cultivated to replace Ben Davis’ apple variety in the competition organized by Stark Nurseries. And the variety ‘Hawkeye’ by Jesse Hiatt won the competition, and later the company took its rights and propagated it by itself.

The scientific name of the variety of the apple is Malus Domestica. 

The taste of the red apple is sweet and juicy when eaten raw. The appearance of the fruit is hard.

The skin or the peel of the fruit is thin, juicy, and red. The color of the skin or the peel of the fruit is because of the presence of special pigments called anthocyanin.

The nutritional content or value of red apples is low. The content of fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, niacin, potassium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin K, etc., is fewer in number.

But the presence of sugar content is higher in the red apples, including the high punch source of antioxidants.  

What are Green Apples?

Green Apples are also one of the varieties among the 7500 known varieties. The green apple is also known as the ‘Granny Smith Apple.’

The significance behind the name of the variety is that it was cultivated by Maria Ann Smith from a chance seedling. The apple variety originated in Peru, Iowa, the United States, in the year 1868.

The apple bears a tip at the top and has a bit sour taste when eaten raw. The Granny Smith or Green Apple variety is a hybrid of the European wild variety of apple, Malus sylvestris, and the other domestic variety Malus Domestica. 

The apple fruit is a bit hard, and the skin or the peel is thick and juicy. The fruit contains some acidic nature in it.

After baking, the green apple remains firm. That is why it is popularly used in baking pies so that it can be sweetened after it.

It is reported that after being overripened, the color of the apple changes from green to yellow. Also, in the United States of America, it is the third most popular variety of apples.

The color of the peel is green because of the presence of an excess of chlorophyll pigments. Green apples are high in nutrient values as preliminary scientific reports claimed it as the pivotal food in reducing obesity.

Less sugar, high fiber, and protein content are good for health.  

Main Differences Between Red and Green Apples

1. The taste of the red apples is supposed to be sweet and juicy, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the taste of the green apples is supposed to be sour.
2. The skin of the red-colored apple is thin, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the skin of the green-colored apple is thick.
3. The origin of the apples of red color is from Peru, Iowa, United States whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the origin of the apples of green color is from Australia.
4. The reason behind the red color of the apples is the presence of a pigment called anthocyanin, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the reason behind the green color of the apples is the presence of the chlorophyll pigment.
5. The nutrient content or value of the red apples is less, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the nutrient content or value of the green apples is more.
6. The protein content in the red apples is less, and the sugar content of the apples is quite large, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the protein content in the green apples is approximately 63% higher, and the presence of the sugar content is low. 

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07373930802686065
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950329303000223
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1537511005000747
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168169911002638