Weren’t we just talking about browning enzymes?
And suddenly here comes a high-tech genetically modified apple that doesn’t brown. Why not? Because it has very little in the way of either polyphenoloxidase or peroxydase (more on what those do here). Which means when you cut it you don’t get browning pigments. Very interesting.
Those readers who know me know I have nothing against GMO crops, but my reaction to this is…why? Aren’t the apples we have pretty darn good as they are? And if you don’t want them to brown there’s always citric acid or lemon juice. This is a pretty cool science experiment, but I don’t see myself buying them over say, the Honeycrisps I bought at the supermarket this week. Well, to each their own!
I wonder if maybe you and I are not the intended market. Maybe they are targeting the fast food market? A fruit salad with apples that stay fresh looking even when they aren’t might be attractive to fast food restaurants and other places with salad bars. It seems like a lot of plant breeding programs aren’t really directed at the end super market/farmers market consumer. After all we only by a few apples at a time. Tasteless square tomatoes are a classic example. Who wants that? Apparently someone.
Very well observed, Wendy and I have no doubt your right. Currently McDonald’s applied citric acid to the apples in their Happy Meals. I’m sure they’d be just as happy skipping that step!
Cheers,
– Joe
My mom would always toss my cut-up apples in cinnamon and sugar to hide the browning that would inevitably occur between her packing my lunch and me eating my lunch. That’s got to be a cheaper (and perhaps, tastier) solution. 🙂
Oooh…nice idea! My girls would love me if I started doing that in the mornings!
Cheers,
– Joe
I assume those can be found next to the “seedless” this and that at the market.
Ha! Probably. Thanks, Dani!
– Joe