Any answers/comments are appreciated....

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.
Various other places on the Usenet, I've seen people decrying the
RD apple for it's poor texture and flavor... but they weren't always
that way. What happened to this variety?

2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

Thanks! -Cloy

In article ,
(Cloy Tobola) wrote:

I haven't noticed any change in the Red Delicious apple. 60 years ago
they were large, red, and soft with little flavor. Today they are
large, red, and soft with little flavor.

Dick



1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.
Various other places on the Usenet, I've seen people decrying the
RD apple for it's poor texture and flavor... but they weren't always
that way. What happened to this variety?

2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

Thanks! -Cloy

Richard Cline wrote:
In article ,
(Cloy Tobola) wrote:

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.
Various other places on the Usenet, I've seen people decrying the
RD apple for it's poor texture and flavor... but they weren't always
that way. What happened to this variety?

2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

Thanks! -Cloy

I haven't noticed any change in the Red Delicious apple. 60
years ago
they were large, red, and soft with little flavor. Today
they are
large, red, and soft with little flavor.

There are lots of foods that taste good to kids that are insipid
or worse when we get older. A friend recently got some sort of
cookie for his nieces and nephew and their friends. He tried
one himself and couldn't finish it.

--Jeff

--
When I give food to the poor
they call me a saint.
When I ask why the poor have
no food, they call me a
Communist.
--Dom Helder Camara

writes:
Any answers/comments are appreciated....

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.
Various other places on the Usenet, I've seen people decrying the
RD apple for it's poor texture and flavor... but they weren't always
that way. What happened to this variety?

A fresh (and ripe!) Red Delicious is wonderful. They are not, however,
good keepers, and are far inferior for storage than the Yellow Delicious.
What happened to yours? Cold storage! I suspect that "improvements" in
cold storage have taken their toll as well. It would be impossible to
keep several varieties of apples under exactly the same conditions and
have all of them taste right; they simply have different characteristics.
Reds just don't store well, especially picked a bit green for the
commercial market.

I grew up in apple country (the Yakima Valley in eastern Washington) so
was very, very spoiled. My grandparents kept their apples in the shed, no
special conditions. The reds were good only for cooking applesauce by
January, the golds made it until February or early March. All of the
cooking apples (Jonathans, Winesaps, etc.) made it until late March, even
early April. And, yes, that was my adult memory as well as childhood.
Methinks the scientists don't always taste what they "preserve."


2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

This may very well be a King. I have a tree in my yard and described it
to a local nurseryman; that was his guess. I am not kidding, two of these
apples will make a 9-inch pie!!! Because they turn red early in the year,
many folks walking by pick them thinking they are ripe. When they are
ripe, they are a deep red . . . and huge. They are a bit on the tart side
for me, so I use them only for cooking, and they are wonderful. Out of
curiousity, I just went out and picked one off the ground, cut and
measured it. It is 3-3/4" across and 3-1/2 inches tall. There are many
larger ones still on the tree.

Good fortune smiled on me when I bought this house which has several apple
varieties, all but one are good. My favorite, only when fresh off the
tree, is the Red Delicious but after picking and waiting, it is the Gold
Delicious. All the others go into pie or sauce.

This time of year, many locations have garden shops/nurseries have apple
tasting festivals. See if you can find one in your area and partake. You
might also take a couple of apples from your tree and see if they can be
identified. Often, even if the employees don't know, there is a customer
who does.

At a garage sale earlier this year, there was a small wine press for a
great price which now resides at my house. I'm hoping to take the time to
try it out with fallen fruit; if I can figure it out (can't imagine it
being difficultg), I'll make some juice for fall from the good stuff. My
simple mind doesn't see the difference between a wine press and cider
press, they both squeeze the juice out of the fruit. It was such a low
price, it's worth it to experiment. g

Happy tasting.

Glenna

Cloy Tobola wrote:

Any answers/comments are appreciated....

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.
Various other places on the Usenet, I've seen people decrying the
RD apple for it's poor texture and flavor... but they weren't always
that way. What happened to this variety?

The orchards bred all the good taste out of the apple to make it red
and shinny
for market appeal. Also, changes were made to make the apple hold up
under
periods of shipment to the market place. Stark's nursery is selling
what they call
is the original strain of Red Delicious. I haven't heard any feedback
yet as to
the quality of these apples.



2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

There are probably a good number of apples that come close to meeting
that criteria. Possibly a 'Wolf River', although that one is stripped
red
over pale yellow.

Sherwin Dubren



Thanks! -Cloy

(Glenna Rose) wrote:


-snip-
A fresh (and ripe!) Red Delicious is wonderful. They are not, however,
good keepers, and are far inferior for storage than the Yellow Delicious.

-snip-
I grew up in apple country (the Yakima Valley in eastern Washington) so
was very, very spoiled.

Other end of the country -- and I agree with Glenna. I'm in upstate
NY - 'the other apple country' - and I like a *fresh* Delicious apple
once in a while. Those shiney red things they sell in the
supermarket are just for show, though.

I get a dozen or so Delicious apples from the orchards when they are
in season. But then I go for the Empires until late spring.
Empires are smaller, crisper & tarter. [again I buy them from a
local orchard-- the orchard gets theirs right into the cold storage
where they don't share the air with a hundred other rotting fruits and
veggies, and where they sit until they come out for sale.]

Jim

(Glenna Rose) wrote:


-snip-
A fresh (and ripe!) Red Delicious is wonderful. They are not, however,
good keepers, and are far inferior for storage than the Yellow Delicious.

-snip-
I grew up in apple country (the Yakima Valley in eastern Washington) so
was very, very spoiled.

Other end of the country -- and I agree with Glenna. I'm in upstate
NY - 'the other apple country' - and I like a *fresh* Delicious apple
once in a while. Those shiney red things they sell in the
supermarket are just for show, though.

I get a dozen or so Delicious apples from the orchards when they are
in season. But then I go for the Empires until late spring.
Empires are smaller, crisper & tarter. [again I buy them from a
local orchard-- the orchard gets theirs right into the cold storage
where they don't share the air with a hundred other rotting fruits and
veggies, and where they sit until they come out for sale.]

Jim

"Cloy Tobola" wrote in message
om...
Any answers/comments are appreciated....

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.
Various other places on the Usenet, I've seen people decrying the
RD apple for it's poor texture and flavor... but they weren't always
that way. What happened to this variety?

2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

Thanks! -Cloy
1) I have two cousins that each have a Red Delicious tree. One is fairly
firm, tart, and slightly juicy if eaten tree ripe and not stored , while the
other is mealy, soft, and dry right off the tree.
I believe the mealy producer was bought at K-Mart (or some home and garden
store ala Lowes) about 12-15 yrs ago, while the other's age is unknown as
it was on the farm he bought 16 yrs ago. I guess I should do a comparison
test someday.

2) If the softball size apples had some green streaks on the skin, it may
have been a Rome Beauty.

Just my unwanted 2 cents worth.
Homer

simy1 wrote:
.............
..................
Local farmers have things here that are redder (as opposed to dark red
maroon that seems the standard for Red Delicious these days), smaller,
a bit tarter, and somewhat less uniformly colored than storebought
delicious. Certainly some of the 60 cultivars that Steve describes in
his wonderful post......................

Thanks, I wondered if anyone would read it. It got kind of long and I'm
guilty myself of skimming over a long post pretty fast unless it grabs
me. I love stories like that though and I love the fact that little
histories like that were not all lost over time.

Steve

simy1 wrote:
.............
..................
Local farmers have things here that are redder (as opposed to dark red
maroon that seems the standard for Red Delicious these days), smaller,
a bit tarter, and somewhat less uniformly colored than storebought
delicious. Certainly some of the 60 cultivars that Steve describes in
his wonderful post......................

Thanks, I wondered if anyone would read it. It got kind of long and I'm
guilty myself of skimming over a long post pretty fast unless it grabs
me. I love stories like that though and I love the fact that little
histories like that were not all lost over time.

Steve

Steve wrote in message ...
simy1 wrote:
.............
..................
Local farmers have things here that are redder (as opposed to dark red
maroon that seems the standard for Red Delicious these days), smaller,
a bit tarter, and somewhat less uniformly colored than storebought
delicious. Certainly some of the 60 cultivars that Steve describes in
his wonderful post......................

Thanks, I wondered if anyone would read it. It got kind of long and I'm
guilty myself of skimming over a long post pretty fast unless it grabs
me. I love stories like that though and I love the fact that little
histories like that were not all lost over time.

Steve

I usually skip too - but that one was interesting enough to read through.

writes:
Thanks, I wondered if anyone would read it. It got kind of long and I'm
guilty myself of skimming over a long post pretty fast unless it grabs
me. I love stories like that though and I love the fact that little
histories like that were not all lost over time.

I also thank you, Steve. It was very interesting. It also explained the
very different qualities of the "same" apple. It's great you took the
time to post it.

noone_atall@home writes:

Any answers/comments are appreciated....

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.

Likewise have I, only for much, much longer. While fresh off the tree are
great! After reading the messages about this, it appears that the apples
of my childhood, early adulthood (both from my grandparents' trees, and my
own R.D. tree may be from the original varieties and have escaped the
"improvements."


2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

Thanks! -Cloy

2) If the softball size apples had some green streaks on the skin, it may
have been a Rome Beauty.

Could be, Homer. However, the Romes are about the same size as a large
Delicious. The Kings are much, much larger, quite frankly the largest
apple I've ever see, and growing up in the Yakima Valley, I saw some
monster apples!

As I recall, they usually used the Romes for apple-dunking. I think it
was at least partly because of the more rounded shape of the apple to make
it more of a challenge.

Glenna

writes:
Thanks, I wondered if anyone would read it. It got kind of long and I'm
guilty myself of skimming over a long post pretty fast unless it grabs
me. I love stories like that though and I love the fact that little
histories like that were not all lost over time.

I also thank you, Steve. It was very interesting. It also explained the
very different qualities of the "same" apple. It's great you took the
time to post it.

noone_atall@home writes:

Any answers/comments are appreciated....

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.

Likewise have I, only for much, much longer. While fresh off the tree are
great! After reading the messages about this, it appears that the apples
of my childhood, early adulthood (both from my grandparents' trees, and my
own R.D. tree may be from the original varieties and have escaped the
"improvements."


2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

Thanks! -Cloy

2) If the softball size apples had some green streaks on the skin, it may
have been a Rome Beauty.

Could be, Homer. However, the Romes are about the same size as a large
Delicious. The Kings are much, much larger, quite frankly the largest
apple I've ever see, and growing up in the Yakima Valley, I saw some
monster apples!

As I recall, they usually used the Romes for apple-dunking. I think it
was at least partly because of the more rounded shape of the apple to make
it more of a challenge.

Glenna

writes:
Thanks, I wondered if anyone would read it. It got kind of long and I'm
guilty myself of skimming over a long post pretty fast unless it grabs
me. I love stories like that though and I love the fact that little
histories like that were not all lost over time.

I also thank you, Steve. It was very interesting. It also explained the
very different qualities of the "same" apple. It's great you took the
time to post it.

noone_atall@home writes:

Any answers/comments are appreciated....

1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that were. They had
just a hint of green and were firm, tart and wonderful. In the last 10
years (at least), I've noticed that the Red Delicious apples I buy at
the store are soft, yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the
same thing.

Likewise have I, only for much, much longer. While fresh off the tree are
great! After reading the messages about this, it appears that the apples
of my childhood, early adulthood (both from my grandparents' trees, and my
own R.D. tree may be from the original varieties and have escaped the
"improvements."


2. Growing up in a small town, a local fraternal organization always
had a Christmas party where the kids each got a huge red apple. These
things were giants -- about the size of a softball -- and they were
tasty too. Anyone know about such a variety and where I could get
some?

Thanks! -Cloy

2) If the softball size apples had some green streaks on the skin, it may
have been a Rome Beauty.

Could be, Homer. However, the Romes are about the same size as a large
Delicious. The Kings are much, much larger, quite frankly the largest
apple I've ever see, and growing up in the Yakima Valley, I saw some
monster apples!

As I recall, they usually used the Romes for apple-dunking. I think it
was at least partly because of the more rounded shape of the apple to make
it more of a challenge.

Glenna

Cloy Tobola asked:
1. When I was a kid, we got "Red Delicious" apples that
were. They had just a hint of green and were firm, tart
and wonderful. In the last 10 years (at least), I've noticed
that the Red Delicious apples I buy at the store are soft,
yellow and mealy. My mom and a friend noticed the same
thing.

It's possible that the best apples are sold to Japan or
other countries? I imagine the best go to places that
get the best prices.

I'm thinking along the lines that different stores will
sell different apples... Walmart is a store that looks
for the lowest prices and they tend to buy things at
low prices, while if Publix offered a higher price
for better apples, Publix could possibly get better
apples. It may depend 100% upon the buyers for the
store on how well they keep up with the quality of
the goods they buy.

--
Jim Carlock
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