Pineberries

[Geoff H]

For sourness Granny smiths - they pick them too early so that the flavour does not develop. I am not comparing say French taste buds with ours. It is my taste buds when we have bought fruit on the continent compared with what we can buy here, there is just no comparison.
What we generally do after our apples have finished is buy from a local orchard whose apples are allowed to ripen on the tree before being picked and stored.
Supermarkets main priority with different fruit and veg is shelf life. so stuff like strawberries and tomatoes are picked far too early.

[Geoff H]

[Spudbash]

I agree that there is absolutely no comparison between a properly ripe Granny Smith and a supermarket one.

Some people's palates are far more sensitive to acidity and bitterness than others' and some people cannot detect notes such as nuttiness, pineapple or banana that give individual varieties their character. Such matters of taste are partly genetic (eg I was born a supertaster and make my food choices accordingly) and partly cultural - ie whether they live in a society that likes to make eating properties a matter of discussion.

For those who can't pick up lots of interesting flavours, the texture becomes all the more important, I imagine - crisp, crumbly, crunchy, juicy, silky, melt-in-the-mouth, and so on. There are lots of ways to enjoy a fruit!  ;D

[Vinlander]

While we're talking about genetics - am I the only one who can taste the bitterness in the skin of Gala apples?

Gala (ugh) is my worst apple nightmare  - mushy, sweet with zero sharpness and a finish as bitter as eating a spoonful of sugar wrapped in a privet leaf (I was going to say wormwood but the flavour of wormwood is quite pleasant - only the taste is bitter - with some nice resiny overtones).

The skins are fairly tough too - a real all-round stinker.

[amphibian]

I agree about soggy apples but I've never tasted a shop-bought apple that was too sour, apart from the very earliest cookers. I frequently buy and bite Bramleys from mid-season on because all the eating apples on sale are sugary mush

Supermarkets round here, at least recently, have been selling apples that just aren't ripe. they have white pips!

[amphibian]

While we're talking about genetics - am I the only one who can taste the bitterness in the skin of Gala apples?

Gala (ugh) is my worst apple nightmare  - mushy, sweet with zero sharpness and a finish as bitter as eating a spoonful of sugar wrapped in a privet leaf (I was going to say wormwood but the flavour of wormwood is quite pleasant - only the taste is bitter - with some nice resiny overtones).

The skins are fairly tough too - a real all-round stinker.

You are not alone, bitter skin overly wet centre, the skin also separates from the flesh easily, which means I find the skin often gets stuck between my teeth.

[Spudbash]

I can taste the bitterness in the skin of Gala and lots of other red-skinned apples, too. Though they do say that red apples are healthier than green 'uns...

[Vinlander]

There is one - repeat only one, really good red apple - it's called William Crump and it is absolutely brilliant.

All the others are truly awful.

(Yes I have tried American Mother and it's only worth eating after a really good summer).

Cheers.