# Any way to test for mealy apples before you buy them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033 "2009-08-11T05:24:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/1 "2009-08-11T05:24:37Z")
I’m always getting fooled by great looking Red Delicious apples that are mealy and terrible when I get them home, Any fool proof way to evaluate them in the store? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/2 "2009-08-11T05:29:23Z")
I read a book about apples that said Red Delicious were bred purely for looks and are one of the worst eating apples in existence. Try a different variety. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/3 "2009-08-11T05:35:57Z")
Red Delicious come naturally mealy and tasteless, but pretty. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/4 "2009-08-11T06:05:34Z")
Here’s a test- if it says “Red Delicious”, it’s mealy and disgusting. Every single freakin’ time. If I wanted a mealy, nasty apple, I would buy a Red Delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/5 "2009-08-11T06:05:51Z")
Skip them. Look for Honey Crisp. You won’t be sorry ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/6 "2009-08-11T06:11:49Z")
Honeycrisps are indeed the best variety of apple I’ve ever tasted, and I won’t buy any other now. Too bad they have a very short season. The good news is they store very well. Buy lots. If you don’t like them send them to me. [From here:](http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/5877_01.html) > [@](#): > > Honeycrisp apple’s harvest season ranges from September 15 to October 10 in east central Minnesota. Optimum harvest usually occurs in the fourth week of September, approximately one week after McIntosh and 2-1/2 weeks before Red Delicious. Earlier harvested apples are generally mild in flavor, while fruit from later harvest dates may be strongly aromatic. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/7 "2009-08-11T07:07:06Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Here’s a test- if it says “Red Delicious”, it’s mealy and disgusting. Every single freakin’ time. If I wanted a mealy, nasty apple, I would buy a Red Delicious. I gotta say that you seem like a trustworthy source. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/8 "2009-08-11T07:30:37Z")
Fujis and Braeburns are very good too. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/9 "2009-08-11T07:41:25Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Fujis and Braeburns are very good too. These are exactly the 2 I was going to mention. My wife loves honeycrisps but they’re a little too . . . something for me. I can’t put my finger on it. Plus they’re pretty expensive IIRC. Haven’t had them in awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/10 "2009-08-11T12:29:05Z")
My cousin flicks them with her fingernail. Good apples give back a clear sound. Mealy ones sound dull. I don’t do that though, because I worry about bruising the apples. Agree with everyone else on Red Delicious. Pink ladies are another tastier alternative. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/11 "2009-08-11T13:19:02Z")
I came in to say Braeburn and Pink Lady. Cameo is another good variety. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/12 "2009-08-11T13:59:02Z")
Galas are another variety that’s fairly common on the produce aisle and happens to be very tasty, as well. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/13 "2009-08-11T14:13:25Z")
Also avoid the larger apples in the bin. Smaller ones usually taste better. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/14 "2009-08-11T14:19:56Z")
All varieties are dry and mealy when picked too early and turned red in a warehouse. My apples on the tree are like that until they ripen. The best you can do in a store is try one and go get more if the first one is edible. To bad their wasn’t a grading for the dryness. A penalty for the growers that pick too early to store for market. One thing ripe apples give off a strong smell of apple. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/15 "2009-08-11T14:28:34Z")
I’ve had really good luck by switching to organic. There are two things in the produce section that I will now only buy in organic versions: apples and bananas. I’ve just had much better results with getting firm, crisp, juicy apples (I like gala & fuji, but I will definitely buy honeycrisps on the rare occasionas that they’re available) and flavorful, non-mushy bananas since I started buying organic. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/16 "2009-08-11T14:39:23Z")
Red Delicious are in no way intrinsically bad apples. Otherwise they wouldn’t have gained so much popularity. The problem is overproduction which has lead to increased warehousing which leads to storage related problems. You need to get this season’s crop picked for immediate sale rather than last season’s that was picked while not ripe and has been sitting for a year (or more). Some produce buyers are good and some are bad. If a store has crappy fruit (of any type) on a regular basis their buyer is an idiot. Go somewhere else. If you haven’t had a Red Delicious bought fresh from the grower’s stand, you have no idea what you are missing. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/17 "2009-08-11T14:46:49Z")
I stopped buying Red Delicious apples years ago because for every good, crisp one I’d get about 5 or 6 mealy ones. These days I only buy Gala, Braeburn or Mt. Fuji. Most of the time they’re nicely crisp and tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/18 "2009-08-11T14:51:12Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Red Delicious are in no way intrinsically bad apples. Otherwise they wouldn’t have gained so much popularity. The problem is overproduction which has lead to increased warehousing which leads to storage related problems. > > If you haven’t had a Red Delicious bought fresh from the grower’s stand, you have no idea what you are missing. The apple you’re talking about is gone. [Read this](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080402194.html). ---
**Author:** ![D.Fenestrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aca169/32.png) [@D.Fenestrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.Fenestrator)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/19 "2009-08-11T15:29:58Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > The apple you’re talking about is gone. [Read this](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080402194.html). I won’t buy Red Delicious, because it’s been years since I had a good one, and I just won’t waste my money any more. The linked article is fascinating - basically a long-winded “oops.” Thanks for posting the link! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033/20 "2009-08-11T15:41:54Z")
Psssst. Golden Delicious apples may be more golden than Red Delicious, but IME they aren’t any more delicious. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-test-for-mealy-apples-before-you-buy-them/506033.md?page=2)