This Day The Red Delicious Apple Crisis (2000)
Nov 26, 2024
In November 2000, Congress passed a bailout for struggling apple growers, revealing the downfall of the Red Delicious apple. The podcast explores the Red Delicious as a cultural icon while contrasting it with tastier varieties like Gala and Honeycrisp. It also dives into the economic challenges facing the apple industry and the rise of new options like Cosmic Crisp. Listeners are invited to reflect on changing consumer preferences and the nostalgia tied to this once-popular variety.
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Apple Origins
- Apples, except for crab apples, are not native to the United States.
- They originated in Central Asia, spread to Europe, and were brought to North America by colonists.
Red Delicious Demise
- The Red Delicious apple's rise and fall is tied to 20th-century economics and consumer preferences.
- Its popularity declined due to prioritizing aesthetics over taste, resulting in a bland, mealy apple.
Flavor Fail
- The Red Delicious apple's decline in flavor resulted from breeding out its yellow stripe.
- This stripe contained the flavor compounds, leading to a blander apple preferred by grocery chains for its uniform look.