Question about German pronoun?

Because the subject "it" is unknown gender until you get to object apple.

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The German personal pronoun "es" is the English equivalent of "it" and has similar functions. Therefore, it can be used in a sentence such as your example.

Guessing (it's been a long time since I learned German...)

For the same reason you would use neuter "it" in English.

That is: because the word "it" itself is neuter

and so when you mean some as-yet unidentified or ungendered object, you use the neuter.

Similarly in English:

- It's a boy (rather than "He's a boy")

- It's a guy, not a girl

etc.

It projects the idea of a gender becoming recognized

So - for example - of a thing unrecognized becoming recognized.

It is at first unrecognized (and thus a neuter "thing")

and then (by the end of the sentence) is identified, including gender.

Well, it is colloquial and VERY common... "Es ist ein Maedchen" is correct, but no one would say "'it' is a girl", would they?