Sprouted Apple Seeds

I cut into an apple one day to find that most of the seeds had sprouted.  The fruit was fine, not spoiled at all.  The seeds had simply decided to germinate.  How long was that apple in the fridge, anyway?

It made me wonder where baby apples come from, so I looked it up.  As soon as I saw the part about apple trees growing 30 feet tall, any thoughts of planting my sprouts ended.  I can't reach half of my lemons.  Not planting a giant tree during a drought.

So, why did it happen?  Apple seeds must "winter over" below 40º before they can sprout.  Most produce suppliers keep their apples refrigerated so they won't spoil, and I refrigerate mine because I buy a bunch at once and get through them eventually.  Apples can keep for months in cool conditions if they are unblemished.  At some point, the apples were removed from refrigeration and allowed to warm up to room temperature for at least two weeks.  At this point, the seeds thought winter was over and germinated.

It is safe to eat an apple in this state if it is not otherwise rotten.  We probably eat a lot of sprouted apples in our lives but don't know it because we eat to just outside the core and toss.

Anyway, I thought this was an unusual piece of fruit trivia to pass along.