The Red Delicious is an apple atrocity. Why are we growing billions of pounds of them each year?

Can’t say I remember buying a RD apple in a grocery store. Too awful. I did however have a great
tasting RD apple in a motel in Wenatchee,WA some many years ago. Must have been picked at the peak.
It was very crisp and tasted great! Haven’t had another one though that didn’t taste like cardboard!

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My feelings exactly. They would taste the same side by side.

And finally Red Delicious isn’t the most grown apple in WA state. The distinction now belongs to Gala.

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People who don’t know any better will keep buying at the supermarket. (Not a high percent of people grow apples on the farm or in the garden.) I kinda like a Fuji from the market…but still it doesn’t compare to home grown.

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Tried gala didn’t like it. Never tried a homegrown one though. Loved my grandfathers red delicious ate them by the boxes when I was a kid. Can’t wait til my Hawkeye starts bearing.

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Gala is a good quality Apple. Not top tier but very decent compared with Red Delicious.

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I have Hawkeye. And as a child that must’ve been the neighbor’s tree. Before Chieftan, followed by 100+ other strains. Old stripey was and is good. Sweet. I always say every apple has its moment of perfect ripeness. I was a field man in E Washington in the early 80’s when old orchards were being ripped out for newbies like fugi, gala and granny. So sad. Japan stopped importing for coddling moth containment but started back up and clearly wanted the striped strain. Then they were all gone. Now mostly solid, dark, “typey” reds. India loves our “Reds” and there is a fast growing market.

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