What is apple fuzz?

November 27, 2005 2:02 PM

What is apple fuzz? Is it safe?

The apples at my grocery store seem to have a lot of fuzz on the bottom. I'm told this is just dirt, and can be washed off, and not something like mold to be more worried about. Is this true?

posted by grouse to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

It's bloom. It is mould, but it won't be unhealthy or taste bad.
posted by lunkfish at 2:26 PM on November 27, 2005

Response by poster: Any more information about bloom? When I search for <apple bloom> I get a bunch of information about the flowers blooming.

Thank you.
posted by grouse at 2:57 PM on November 27, 2005

Well wikipedia says it's waxy coverings to the fruit cells so I'm probably wrong.

I couldn't find much info actually maybe someone else can help.
posted by lunkfish at 3:34 PM on November 27, 2005

Broadly, apples are members of the rose family (that's Rosaceae), along with medlars, quinces, crabapples, hawthorns, plums, peaches, almonds, and (maybe... I can't find confirmation of this right now) strawberries. Some members of this family actualy do have hairs, called tomenta (singluar tomentum), covering their skin. The same word's used for the prickle-injecting hairs on stinging nettles. Quinces are the closest apple relative and best example of this. If you get one that's avoided washing or excessive handling, it'll have a buff-colored, peachy fuzz that it will gradually shed into your shopping bag, onto your counter, etc. Some apples seem to have more of this light covering fuzz than others, and it's usually mostly on the bottom/blossom end, where it isn't washed and waxed off in preparation for sale. Could that be your mystery apple fur?
posted by pullayup at 6:36 PM on November 27, 2005

Oh, yeah, quince fur can cause dermatitis in sensitive individuals, so wash before you eat /rub yourself with your fuzzy apples.
posted by pullayup at 6:37 PM on November 27, 2005

Why would it be dirt? Apples are picked off a tree before the are fully ripe and ready to drop. My vote would be more towards the beginnings of blue or grey mould which is common on apples.
posted by squeak at 12:36 AM on November 28, 2005

Response by poster: Regarding dirt, the idea was that if they got wet any dirt would collect on the bottom. It is always on the bottom of the apple, while those example images you give the mold is all over.

If it is mold, should I not eating these apples and notify store management?
posted by grouse at 1:17 AM on November 28, 2005

Response by poster: not eatingeat
posted by grouse at 1:18 AM on November 28, 2005

Best answer: I just spoke to the trustee of our local library who is an apple expert and general arborist, she had this to say. Your apples at the supermarket have been in cold storage for months, usually. Humidity gathers at the bottom of these apples [darker, less likely to rub off otherwise, gravity, &c] and when the apples get someplace warm there is a small mold-ish bloom. It's not likely to be anything harmful, and washes off easily, but on the other hand it's not really great presentation-wise for the apples to be moldy. So I wouldn't shy away from eating them BUT I'd mention to your grocer that apple-fuzz is not particularly appealing to you.
posted by jessamyn at 9:51 AM on November 28, 2005

I've noticed that our apples this year are often coated with a stickier wax than in previous years. It used to be that one could just use a towel to buff off a good deal of the wax and debris, but now I'm finding that I need to use a scrubbie brush and dishsoap.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:07 AM on November 28, 2005

Response by poster: Jessamyn manages to come through yet again. OK, I will—

• start eating these apples again (washing more carefully; and
• notify the management.

posted by grouse at 3:49 PM on November 28, 2005