What are these brown lines in my apple?

Any ideas on what’s going on in this apple?

I cut into this apple and it had these small brown streaks. The apple itself was firm and looked good on the outside with no obvious spots or bruises. I accidentally ate a small piece and it tasted normal and sweet.

It doesn’t look like a typical maggot nor rot.

Best Answer

From Ask An Expert:

These symptoms are characteristic of a physiological disorder called bitter pit, which is the result of a calcium deficiency. This may be the result of inadequate calcium in the soil.

Bitter pit does not necessarily indicate low soil calcium, although consistent bitter pit for several years certainly points in that direction. Anything that results in excessive foliar growth can cause bitter pit, because calicum gets diverted to the foliar growth. Heavy pruning, excessive nitrogen fertilizer, and excessive irrigation all can lead to bitter pit.

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Quick Answer about "What are these brown lines in my apple?"

The apple maggot is occasionally referred to as the “railroad worm” because of the slender brown streaks or tracks in the apple's flesh. The apple maggot is a type of fruit fly. Female apple maggot flies insert eggs beneath the skin of fruit from about mid-June until shortly before harvest.

Can you eat apples with brown lines inside?

You can eat the apple as these brown spots are not harmful to humans as they are caused by a malformation caused due to a calcium deficiency. The affected flesh is often bitter and unpleasant to eat.

Are apple maggots harmful to humans?

They are neither harmful to humans (nor animals) nor do they carry any harmful parasites. Now, worms digging into the apple will cause some rot and that can produce an off flavor, but even the bacterial and fungal species that cause rot in apples are not a hazard for humans.

How to Keep Apples from Turning Brown in the Lunchbox + Homemade Apple Cups

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: cottonbro, Shane Aldendorff, Artem Podrez, Izabella Árvai