The 'Granny Smith' is a tip-bearing apple cultivar, which originated in Australia in 1868. It is named after Maria Ann Smith, who propagated the cultivar from a chance seedling. The fruit has hard, light green skin and a crisp, juicy flesh.

Granny Smith apples go from being completely green to turning yellow when overripe. The acidity mellows significantly on ripening, and it takes on a balanced flavor. Though also consumed raw, it is one of the most popular cooking apples.

  Maria Ann Smith, had immigrated to the district from Beckley, East Sussex in 1839 with her husband Thomas. They purchased a small orchard in the area in 1855-1856 and began cultivating fruit. Smith had numerous children and was a prominent figure in the district, earning the nickname "Granny" Smith in her advanced years.

The first description of the origin of the 'Granny Smith' apple was not published until 1924. In that year, Farmer and Settler published the account of a local historian who had interviewed two men who had known Smith. One of those interviewed recalled that in 1868 he (then twelve years old) and his father had been invited to Smith's farm to inspect a chance seedling that had sprung near a creek. Smith had dumped there among the ferns the remains of French crab-apples that had been grown in Tasmania. Another story recounted that Smith had been testing French crab-apples for cooking, and throwing the apple cores out her window as she worked, found that the new cultivar sprang up underneath her kitchen windowsill. Whatever the case, Smith took it upon herself to propagate the new cultivar on her property, finding the apples good for cooking and for general consumption. Having "all the appearances of a cooking apple", they were not tart but instead were "sweet and crisp to eat". She took a stall at Sydney's George Street market, where the apples stored "exceptionally well and became popular" and "once a week sold her produce there."

Smith died only a couple of years after her discovery (in 1870), but her work had been noticed by other local planters. The apple was successful and the following years many were exhibiting 'Granny Smith' apples at horticultural shows.

Health benefits

Granny Smith is one of several apple cultivars that are high in antioxidant activity, and they boast the highest concentration of phenols amongst the apple breeds especially if eaten with the skin intact.[14] Granny Smiths are also naturally low in calories and high in dietary fiber and potassium, making them commonly recommended as a component of healthy and weight-loss diets.