The Rise and Fall of a Forbidden Fruit

Did you know that for most of the 20th century, America only had one type of apple? Yep, that Red Delicious monstrosity that was more decorative than edible. The kind that rattled around in kids’ lunchboxes until it was inevitably traded for pretzels. I’ve never been much of an “apple person” myself. My parents, though? Hardcore apple enthusiasts. During the height of the pandemic, when all the farmer’s markets were closed, they went full pioneer mode and drove to a rural Maryland orchard to buy apples straight from the source. For me apples were were just the vague inspiration for fruit snack flavors. In this podcast, you will learn way more than you ever wanted to know about apple horticulture.