let’s enjoy those red delicious but just so you know that honeycrisp theyever green. it’s hard to believe, but the apples in your grocery store today are unlike those from just a few years ago.

these days, supermarkets have shelves stacked with a rainbow of apples, from the tangy Pink Lady to the super sweet Fuji.

that’s because today’s apples aren’t just grown in typical old time orchards. today’s apple farms look more like vineyards, packed with dwarf trees arranged neatly in trellises. some orchards even utilize self-driving robots to harvest the apples! imagine, robots picking apples!

this shift hasn’t happened overnight. back in the day, apple trees were much taller, and apple picking was a lot more labor-intensive.

has this modern approach affected the taste of our apples? maybe! some experts believe the vast variety of new apple types impacts the taste in a more noticeable way.

Today’s apples don’t grow on towering trees, could have been picked in 2023, and taste way different than they used to.

And that’s just the beginning of the surprising modern reality of a quintessentially American fruit ‒ one that captures our imagination each fall with apple-picking, apple cider doughnuts and apple pie.

Today’s juicy Honeycrisps, sweet Fujis, crunchy SweeTangos or tart-ish Pink Ladies are the product of bewildering scientific and agricultural innovations. Orchards of today ‒ filled with short, trellised trees harvested by people on self-driving platforms or sometimes even robots ‒ sound like the stuff of science fiction.

But apple fundamentals have stayed the same. Apples remain a healthy, nutritious snack, low in calories, high in fiber and vitamin C. Eat them peel-on to get the most of their fiber and antioxidants.

YSL News spoke with apple breeders, growers, packers and researchers to find out the secrets of one of America’s most popular fruits. Here’s what we learned:

Apple orchards look more like vineyards than forests

A modern apple orchard looks nothing like the towering, pink blossomed trees of story books. And Johnny Appleseed would find no takers for his offerings.

“The thing most people find surprising is just what the orchards look like,” said Amanda Van Lanen, a history professor at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, and author of “The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development of Industrial Agriculture.”

“You say ‘orchard’ and people have this pastoral orchard in their head.”

Modern apples are not grown from seeds but from scions (buds) grafted onto semi-dwarf or dwarf rootstock from disease-resistant strains. The trees grow to only 10 to 11 feet tall. As many as 1,300 to 1,500 can be planted per acre.

The trees are also trained to grow along wire trellises. That’s in part to protect them from falling over in a severe windstorm, said Dave Gleason, a horticulturist in Washington state whose been working with apples since the 1960s.

The shift to this kind of shaping began in the late 1970s, in part to allow easier pruning and picking, he said.

Apple picking has gone high-tech

Fall revelers may pay a premium to wander orchards to handpick apples, but that’s not how the pros do it anymore.

“Back in the day you had to know how to climb down a 14-foot ladder with a 40- to 50-pound bag of apples and not bruise or hurt the fruit,” Gleason said.

“Labor is now 75% of our costs,” he said, and finding experienced pickers to keep fruit in good shape is harder every year.

Today, many orchards use self-driving harvest-assist platforms that slowly drive down the rows. Arms on either side reach out to touch the trees on either side to keep it in the center, Gleason said. “The people just fill their bag and put it in the bin. It simplifies things,” he said.

In late October, he attended a demonstration of a robotic apple picker that could pluck 4,000 pieces of fruit an hour. A good human picker can do about 2,000.

Grocery stores only recently started stocking a variety of apples

Not so long ago, most American supermarkets sold only a few apple varieties – Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smiths.

Apples weren’t always the limited selection we see in supermarkets today. In the past, the U.S. boasted over 17,000 different apple varieties, mostly grown and sold locally.

While apples like Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady became popular nationwide starting in the 1970s, it wasn’t until around 2010 that supermarkets began offering a wide variety of apples.

Today, shoppers can find exciting options like Cosmic Crisp, SnapDragon, Opal, Ruby Frost, SweeTango, Sonata, Jazz, and Envy.

Washington state takes the lead in apple production, growing 68% of the apples grown in the U.S. Their dry climate is ideal for apples, keeping fungal diseases at bay. Washington even has its own apple grading standard, considered higher than the USDA standard.

Apples picked today are often stored in controlled atmosphere rooms filled with nitrogen. This keeps the apples fresh and flavorful for 12 to 15 months.

Interestingly, apples weren’t always America’s favorite fruit. World War II impacted apple popularity when the best apples were reserved for military rations, leaving consumers with bruised and imperfect fruit.

A dedicated advertising campaign in the 1950s helped reintroduce consumers to apples and regain their popularity.

Apples: From Taste Preferences to Baking Trends

This article explores the fascinating world of apples, covering everything from regional taste preferences to the evolution of apple varieties.

**Sweet vs. Tart:**

Did you know that apple preferences vary across continents? Europeans, particularly those in Mediterranean regions, tend to favor sweet apples, while northern Europeans prefer tart varieties. American tastes, however, generally lean towards sweetness.

Interestingly, American preferences are evolving. While sweetness remains popular, consumers are increasingly seeking complexity and unique flavors, thanks to the introduction of numerous new apple varieties in recent decades.

**Refrigeration: Keeping Apples Fresh:**

Apples, surprisingly, have a long shelf life, even outside of cold storage. However, refrigeration is crucial for preserving their quality.

Once exposed to air, apples rapidly lose texture, sugar, and acidity. Refrigerating apples slows down this process, extending their freshness.

Here’s a breakdown of apple shelf life:

* **From storage room to supermarket:** 5-6 days.
* **Supermarket display:** 7 days.
* **Refrigerated storage:** 2 weeks.

**Apples Through History:**

Before the widespread adoption of refrigerated storage in the 1960s, fresh apples were a seasonal treat.

Americans relied on preservation methods like drying, making applesauce, apple butter, or cider vinegar to enjoy apples year-round.

Interestingly, baking apples, once a staple, have become harder to find. Today, supermarkets primarily stock eating apples, leading to a decline in traditional baking apples.

**Looking Ahead:**

The future of apples holds exciting possibilities. Researchers continue to develop new varieties, ensuring a diverse and flavorful apple landscape for generations to come.

One promising candidate is the WA 64 variety, a recent creation from Washington State University’s breeding program.

Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any specific aspect of this article!Currently there seems to be a new apple variety in the making!

Washington State University researchers are working on a crossover between Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apples.

This new variety, labeled WA 64 for now, doesn’t have a name yet, and won’t be in stores until around 2029 or 2030.

Researchers are excited about its potential because it has a pink blush and golden yellow background and a texture that’s even better than the Pink Lady.

Similar to how the Cosmic Crisp apple (WA 38) took a long time from development to store shelves (around 20 years!) it seems this WA 64 apple might take just as long.