Autumm is apple harvesting time in Estonia. Apples are the most popular and commonly grown fruit in Estonia, with over 1000 different varieties grown in the country and 53 types considered uniquely Estonian. Most houses with gardens in rural and suburban Estonia have at least one apple tree. They're ubiquitous!
The most common apple varieties grown in Estonia are the 'Suislepp', 'Valge Klaar', 'Liivi kuldrenett', 'Tellissaare' and 'Tiina'. During this time of year in Estonia it is common to find homeowners leaving boxes or bags of free surplus apples outside their homes for passersby to take.
Some fun facts:
Many Estonian apple varieties have human first names. For example Tiina, Meelis, Kersti, Taavi, Kaja and Krista. In total, there are 22 varieties of Estonian apples with such names. According to official statistics there are currently 4213 people in Estonia with the name Tiina, 3288 with the name Meelis and 2679 with the name Tiite. Apple (õun) is also a surname in Estonia and 629 people have this surname.
