Red Delicious Apples Weren’t Always Horrible
Turns out, the Red Delicious apple used to be, well, delicious. Here’s what went wrong.
By Katherine Keenan|Jun 16 2022|
When you picture an apple, you picture the Red Delicious. Yet the same process which led to this apple's vibrant color actually led to its downfall.
Credit: PixabayIt wasn’t always a misnomer. At one point, Red Delicious apples were among the most highly coveted apple varieties in the United States — and they had a flavor to match.
In 2018, however, we saw the end of the Red Delicious apple’s long reign. Gala apples, with their mottled hues and mild sweetness, took the lead, marking the first time in more than 50 years that any apple’s sales surpassed those of the Red Delicious.
It’s a no-brainer: Given the wide array of apple cultivars to choose from nowadays — and with even more varieties emerging every year — who would opt for the tough skin and mealy flesh of a Red Delicious (or what Yankee senior food editor Amy Traverso calls “a mouthful of roughage”)?
But did you know there’s an identifiable reason for the downfall of the most iconic apple in America?
Here’s how the king of apples was dethroned: slowly, steadily, and, as it turns out, intentionally.
Red Delicious Apples Weren’t Always Horrible
I rant about Red Delicious apples fairly frequently. A simple mention of the name conjures up memories of dejected lunchbox remnants. Of depressing waxy fruit bowls. Of thick maroon skin and mealy flesh. The kind of apple that almost resists letting you bite it. The kind of apple that is purely an “apple of the eye,” seemingly intended for everything but consumption.
Imagine my frustration, then, when I learned that Red Delicious apples were actually engineered to be bad.
The Origin of the Red Delicious Apple
The story begins with the Ben Davis apple. Extremely popular during the 19th century and early 20th century, this cultivar was known to fruit growers as a “mortgage lifter” because it was so reliable. Alas, all of this was due to the apple’s good looks, however, rather than its taste.
In the late 1880s, Iowa farmer Jesse Hiatt stumbled across a mystery apple seedling in his orchard. Despite his repeated attempts to stop the interloper from taking root, it continued to spring up year after year. Hiatt eventually gave up and dubbed the apple “Hawkeye” in honor of his home state.
In 1893, hoping to find an apple with the beauty of a Ben Davis but with superior taste, Missouri-based Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards held a contest. Hiatt submitted his Hawkeye apple for consideration.
After one bite of Hiatt’s creation, the president of Stark Brothers exclaimed, “My! This apple is delicious!” He paused, then declared, “That will be its name!”
According to LeAnn Zotta’s book 200 Years and Growing: The Story of Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Brothers soon purchased the rights from Hiatt and named the apple the “Stark Delicious.” In 1914, after the naming of the Golden Delicious, it received its final name: Red Delicious.
The Genetic Downfall of the Red Delicious Apple
The Red Delicious boomed in popularity. By the 1940s it was the best-selling apple in the United States. Soon, however, selective breeding took its toll.
“It was kind of this ‘gold-rush mentality’ with apples where if you found a really good one, you could market it,” says Yankee’s Amy Traverso, author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook. “The [Red Delicious] was a chance seedling, and I like to imagine what a revelation it was to come across this apple tree that you hadn’t even planted. To taste the fruit for the first time and realize it was just incredible.”
Traverso explains that on any apple tree you have what are called “sports,” which are apples that might have a slightly different genetic expression than the rest. When Red Delicious apples mutated toward more consistent coloring — i.e., brighter reds, less striping — farmers favored them, because this was a marketable quality. And therein lies the problem.
“It turns out that a lot of the genes that coded for the flavor-producing compounds were on the same chromosomes as the genes for the yellow striped skin,” Traverso explains, “so as you favored the more consistently colored apples, you were essentially disfavoring the same genes that coded for great flavor.”
Traverso adds that as the Red Delicious was being bred to have more uniformity, it was also being bred to have thicker skin — “which was great when you were shipping things on trains,” she says, “but now you’re getting this mouthful of thick skin.”
By prioritizing aesthetics, apple growers were slowly destroying the Red Delicious’s deliciousness. As Traverso says: “They literally bred the flavor out of the apple.”
“Delicious” Apple Alternatives
If you’re heading to a pick-your-own orchard this fall, you’re not likely to see many Red Delicious apples. Traverso says she’s talked to many farmers who, for the past 15 years or so, have been ripping out their Red Delicious trees in favor of Gala, Fuji, and Honeycrisp. “They’re probably the first ones to go when farmers need to start repurposing acreage,” she says.
What does Traverso suggest you pick instead? If you’re looking for a sweet, floral quality, a ripe Gala will do the trick. Also recommended: Fuji, Ginger Gold, and Snapdragon.
For more of Traverso’s apple wisdom, read her guide to the five best new apple varieties and her guide to the best apples for apple pie.
Are you still on the Red Delicious bandwagon? Let us know below.
This post was first published in 2019 and has been updated.
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I have NEVER enjoyed the so-called ‘Red Delicious’ and could not understand its appeal. Thank you for explaining. In my opinion the Red Delicious is a junk Apple fit only for baking.
Ambrosia apples are delicious too- if you see them in store, pick up a few, or a bag- they aren’t common though
Why would you use a “junk “ apple to bake? Good ingredients equal good products. the red delicious apple never was that good
Red Delicious were my favorite apples for years. I loved the crunch and the taste. The last few years, however, I have thrown away MANY Red Delicious because they were brown inside. I am willing to pay a premium price for a good “old-fashioned” Red Delicious. Where can I buy one?
A friend brought some to work. He grew them on his own tree. If you want something close to what you knew and love, you’ll probably have to grow it yourself.
I remember them being good as a kid in the 70s but gave up on them as an adult when they became consistently bad and I found much better varieties. But now, even the Galas I buy lately are flavorless and watery. My favorite was the Envy, but it’s not what it was either…
Nothing says “fall” like a crisp Delicious apple. I, too, noticed a decline in quality. Please bring back a good old-fashioned Delicious apple!
Article is correct. I used to love the unique taste of a Red Delicious but the current apples have no flavor.
I have noticed the same decline in the Golden.
Hope no one changes the Mac!
We have access to some Goldens that are basically,wild now, as the property has not been maintained in decades, and while,they are a bit wormy sometimes, they are delicious. They are small, and can be brown in places, but when you find a good one, they are very nice. Way more taste than store bought ones in my opinion. Looking forward to getting some more this year.
I always thought whoever came up with the name “Red Delicious” had a twisted sense of humor. I would agree “mouthful of ruffage” is more fitting. Thanks for the history.
I don’t agree that there is a problem with the red delicious unless you don’t buy them from Market Basket. Walmart ones are tasteless and go bad quickly.
When I was a child in the forties, red delicious were indeed delicious. And then……”greater minds” than mine “improved” them…Nuff said.
Oh, it’s true! Red Delicious apples used to be delightful even until the early ’80s. They were big, juicy, crisp, and refreshingly sweet. That apple is long gone.
They may look nice in a fruit basket, but I have always thought Red Delicious apples were mealy and awful tasting! Thanks for the interesting article confirming my opinion!
In the early 60’s we used to take our dog for a run in the fields near an apple orchard. We would bring home a bushel and eat an apple on the way home. I don’t care for the very sweet apples, and suspect I am not alone. The apples we got from central New Jersey were so crunchy and had just the right amount of sweetness. Those apples did not have a “very thick” tough skin. Seems like they bred the good quality out of these apples, and they went the same way as the tomato. It’s a shame.
What about Macintosh? Cortland? I like some tartness
Those 2 are my favorites too. They are more economical than the new fancy apples. I eat these fresh and make pies from them. I am in my eighties and these two varieties are my very favorites.
I hate all of these other apple varieties. I only love Red Delicious, but haven’t been able to buy them for years. Maybe this is location based, but where I live most other varieties are HORRIFIC. I wish I could get the good Red Delicious that tasted FANTASTIC! I eat less apples now because they are all so BAD!
Well, I only love GOLDEN DELICIOUS!
The downfall of the RD apple is well-known.What I want to know is whether any of the old rootstock or original genetic material remains to revive it. Surely the USDA retains some info? Why can’t it be brought back?
Jackson: I have heard people claim that they have scions from the original tree. Most are sports or strains that are more red. When I was a kid, most were more like the original striped type. Check wagonwheel nursery. I’m pretty sure it was him who said he had the original Hawkeye that was known to have been propagated from the original tree. Personally I still don’t like them, but that’s more a matter of taste. The old school ones are a respectable apple if you like that sort of thing.
As an apple collector, breeder, enthusiast, I think the old style RD are a respectable apple. When I was a kid, I don’t remember any of the super red sports and strains being around at all. But over time, they all became brick red and seemed to be worse in quality. All that said though, I don’t really like them and wouldn’t finish one at it’s best unless I was pretty hungry. Granted I’m a snob and my bar is set very high by tasting hundreds of apple varieties, but I don’t like it or other apples that have a certain perfumed or floral American “red” apple taste.
I disagree with all the hate. I just had a Red Delicious apple from Wegmans, and lived up to its name. I must be the only weirdo that still loves a good, juicy Red Del. While I agree that mealy ones are awful, a good grocer (like Wegmans) only puts out the best. Freshness counts. And yes, I used to work there but not any longer…I am a native Upstate NYer, though!
I agree . By far the worst apple in the store . I am in my 60’s and never remember a time the red delicious wasn’t a mealy and flavorless apple. For me, it’s this years crop of Macintosh or Galas and Fujis for eating. Cortland for cooking
I’m 67 years old. Born, raised and will die a Yankee. As a kid I never really got why the red delicious never tasted that great. Now I know why.
Stephen Sheldon, Esquire
Townsend, Massachusetts
PS Same has happened to many roses. Fortunately I have some old growth pink ones that are like heaven to the nose. At their peak right now.
I used to like Red Delicious and then no more, and now I know why. My default favorite apple is a Mac. Thanks for this article.
My husband is from Seattle and only likes Washington State red delicious apples, even though we live a mile from an apple orchard/farm market that grows and sells local red delicious. But it has become increasingly difficult to find good ones–crisp, not mealy, juicy and the right balance of tart and sweet. Also it seems they are either tiny or gigantic. I went to a market that has any variety of any produce you could imagine and bought several minds of apples for a taste test and we rated them. N
He actually liked several, but I think the gala was the best. I still like a tart Granny Smith and use these in baking applications where I want the apple to hold its shape after cooking. Personally I much prefer the soft summer fruits, but they ain’t what they used to be either.
I’ve always liked sweet apples and adored the Red Delicious as a kid. However, over time I’ve found that most of the commercially available Red Delicious have lost both flavor and crunch as they turned redder in coloring. Then my Dad started a backyard orchard and the Red Delicious tree a cousin bought for us produced wonderful tasting moderately thin skinned apples. Because the apples had yellow stripes my younger brother wondered if we had gotten “another mislabeled tree”. (Long story) Stan, the cousin who got us the tree swore that his supplier only sold ‘genuine rootstock’, then Grandma Mortimer ended the argument by digging out thirty to forty year old fruit tree catalogues that had pictures of yellow striped Red Delicious apples. Somehow Stan’s supplier had gotten his hands on first generation Red Delicious cultivars and was breeding them true! (He also sent us a yellow apple tagged Golden Glow that was equally fantastic: very thin tender skin, yellowish crisp sweet/tart flesh, huge size–they rival a grapefruit, and very hardy tree.) The RD tree put out a shoot from the rootstock (below the graft) that produced equally good sweet/tart pink and red striped ‘doughnut’ shaped apples so we never trimmed it back. In fact the first couple of years we didn’t realize they were a different apple!
And yeah, the success of the first Red Delicious apples led to their current state: retailers demanded a Red Delicious that would look and ship better and there you have it.
By the way, does anyone know what happened to the Mitsu apples of the 1980s? I saw them in local stores for about five years then couldn’t find them. Friends have claimed that they were renamed Fuji but the current Fuji are nothing like the Mitsu apples I remember.
Very interesting story, thanks for sharing! I hope you still have some of your grandma’s catalogs !
Mitsu apples are still available from growers in NC. Often see them at roadside “apple houses” in the fall in East TN and Western NC.
The invention of color lithography at the end of the 19th century changed American eating habits. It created idealized pictures of food, and that is what people expect. In that way, the Red Delicious is a star — it looks like every “A is for apple” picture in children’s books. The current ugly-but-tastes-just-as-good food movement is an attempt to counter that.
cortland is still my fav/
I am not a New Englander but I do have a history with the RD. I can remember when I lived in Kansas City in the 40’s I would love to take a walk around the block polishing a RD. When I got back home I would sit in the back yard and eat the beautiful red apple. Not any more, at least no more RD apples to eat. Mushy and absolutely no flavor. I usually buy Gala or Honeycrisp now. I also agree that a tomato from the store is like eating cardboard. Thank goodness for the Farmer’s Market here in Red Lodge, Montana where I can buy a tomato that actually tastes delicious. Same with blueberries. It is sad to think that we old timers (87) can’t explain to younger people how good some foods used to taste. BTW, I love Yankee magazine. Have been reading it for years. Keep up the good work you do!!
I agree with the reader from Red Lodge, Montana. I also live in a Red Lodge and I look forward every year to the Farmer’s Market. I remember way back when I used to also walk around the block in Kansas City carefully polishing my red delicious apple, looking forward a huge treat. To eat a RD now would be torture.
Thank you for providing the explanation behind the changes in the Red Delicious apples. I used to like them when I was a kid but I cannot tolerate the taste and the skin’s thickness and now I understand why.
Good afternoon from the Hamlet of Fruit Valley, in the Town of Oswego, Oswego County on the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario.
I am 82 years old. I eat Red Delicious Apples. I do not eat the apples you are talking about. They are not worth the time to consume.
Gala, Fuji, and Honeycrisp: Bleh! Japanese style apples with little flavor. I bought an apple from a fruit stand In Tokyo. Big, really big, and pretty, but not much flavor. Why replicate that style of apple? So, Red Delicious is mealy, but it has flavor. Breed the flavor back to the original. I don’t care if it has stripes; I eat a fruit for flavor and my health. The American public depends too much on looks. Citrus fruit is rough and scaly; that is why producers wax it – to make it ‘pretty’, not taste better.
I love Red Delicious apples, they are the only ones that I eat. I agree that they are all over the p!ace as far as consistency of flavor, size, and crispness. It is frustrating to get a bad batch but I haven’t found another variety that I like as much so I stick with the RD
Red Delicious…shuddering. I thought the same about Golden Delicious ’til we lived in Washington State and could get fresh Goldens from farm stands. That all-too-common year in cold storage does nothing to help apple flavor/texture. Personally, I am a fan of Gravenstein, Spitzenberg, Stayman Winesap, and some others I can’t remember right now. We just moved to Minnesota and we’re exploring the varieties here, which are often different from the West Coast. For baking, I have yet to find anything that beats Cox Orange Pippin. They are amazing.
Pink Lady for me. Tart and sweet.
What about Empire apple the cross between Red Delicious and Mackintosh. That apple is sweet and tart and it.s great for applesauce and not a chunky pie.
We liked Red Delicious about a half a century ago but haven’t bought any in years. Our favorite was the Northern Spy but haven’t seen this variety anywhere in decades. We loved Macintosh that we picked fresh at the orchards. They were only good when fresh. The Northern Spy was always gotten at the orchard.
When I was a kid in MA McIntosh were the favorites. When I moved to NY delicious seemed to be the favorite. Don’t have the sweet flavor. Hard to find macs now.
While staying in Ogunquit 40 years ago (am I really that old?!!!) a friend and I happened upon an orchard open to picking. I picked 3 large bags of apples that were the most amazing thing I’d ever eaten! The color was variegated red-pink and green, and they tasted like a red delicious with butter, the flesh was perfect. They were addicting. My 3 bags were gone in 2 days when I returned home! I wonder if these were a ‘true’ red delicious. Have never tasted an apple as good since then and I couldn’t find that field if my life depended on it!
Sorry, folks, but fresh Washington state Honeycrisp apples have it all. Flavor, crispness, juiciness, sweet but with a touch of tartness. and no there is no kid in this state who doesn’t love them. In fact, even locally they cost 40% more than any others, because they are worth it!
I used to like the red delicious, but now I know why they taste like cardboard, no flavor, no juicy sweetness. Since I eat apples almost every day I like the honey crisp.
There are so many great varieties of heirloom apples, a couple of years ago I grew so tired of honeycrisp,Fuji, Gala and especially Macintosh that I planted my own apples. Ahmeads Kernel, Hudson’s Golden Gem, Orleans Reinette and Wicksons are all far superior to anything in the grocery stores.
I just bit into a Red Delicious apple and it tasted nothing like I remember. Must be a local cultivar. It was tasty but not as much as the Empire apples. I grabbed the Red Delicious by mistake.
My favorites are JonaGold, Ambrosia, Golden Delicious, then a toss-up between Gala and Honeycrisp. I like the zesty flavor of the Cortland, too.
While living in the Middle East we were blessed to eat an abundance of produce for a minimal cost. I can’t say that they were for certain Red Delicious, but there’s an apple over there that’s identical to it and it tastes AMAZING! For months I refused to eat it because I assumed it would taste like the ones here in the U.S. Not a bit! And we bought them by the kilos. 🙂
So, maybe they just taste better over there like so many other fruits do from their native countries…?
I love RD’s and still think they taste great (depends on where you get them). Even at our grocery here in the South, you can *sometimes* get really crisp and flavorful apples. One trick I employ, is to refrigerate them. Won’t help a mealy one, but seems to really bring out the sweetness and crispness. Can’t really grow any favorite varieties down here so we have to take what we can get….
Katherine! Thank you so much for writing this article! I grew up in the 1960s, and I can still vividly recall the absolute joy of the almost mind-blowingly fabulous taste and crispy crunch of the Red Delicious apples of my childhood. They were such a delight to eat. I recall that, at the time, they were one of Washington State’s chief exports, shipped by the boatload to Japan in all their proudly crisp glory and almost hard-to-believe-something-could-be-THIS-good flavor. These were edible ambassadors to the world, each fragrant bite a diplomatic gift proclaiming the bounty, wonders and promise of America. As the Red Delicious began its warp in the 1980s into blandness … then toughness … and then that sickening, should-I-just-spit-this-out mealiness, not only did I begin wondering, “What is happening to the Red Delicious?!??” but I actually started feeling embarrassed, wondering what people in Japan were starting to think about America. I hypothesized that perhaps the best Red Delicious apples—the ones like I remembered—were still being shipped all over the world, but that now the fruit distributors were reserving the increasingly nasty apples for America. By the early aughts, it began to be a thought of mine that perhaps there actually WERE no more Red Delicious apples like the ones of my childhood, and, if we were now shipping these inedible Frankenapple travesties across the globe, then their diplomacy was now communicating not an America of wonder, but rather an America in decline. You finally answered for me, Katherine, what had been a nagging question in my mind for over three decades now. Thank you.
This was an excellent explanation of why Red Delicious are what they are! Sign me up for Honeycrisp! – Jon –
Haven’t had a RD Apple in years due to mealy inside and tough skin ..my favorite now are Ambrosia, Honey Crisp and a new one Cosmic Crisp..
We live in the “apple valley” of Central New York and were fortunate to have nearly 200 trees in our yard that were maintained and harvested by a local grower. The apples were all red delicious, and people who claimed to not like “delicious” apples always said these were the best they’d had. Our trees are old now, and the grower has ceased to spray and maintain them but the apples were out of this world. We could make apple sauce that did not need anything at all added, and the apples were wonderful just to eat. If they were refrigerated, they’d be great eating until January or so. I wish I knew how to take care of them on my own.
Glenn, I would love to come try your apples! I live in Ithaca, but grew up in the 80’s in Washington State, thinking apples were horrid fruit because of the mealy, tasteless Red Delicious apples that I always had to eat. I’d love to see what they tasted like before their decline.
Left out of the story was the fact that Ben Bavis apples could withstand shipping, had a very heavy yield, and could be grown further south than most apples. In fact, they originated in Kentucky, They looked good, shipped well and were easily grown, Unfortunately, they tasted like sawdust. It’s somewhat ironic that the RD that displaced them is now suffering a decline toward Ben Davis quality,
Red Delicious Apples are the only fruit I eat and I love them! They’re not sweet, nor bitter, perfectly in the middle.
Growing up and eating Red Delicious apple, I was always told that RD were only for eating, not for cooking/baking. Yes indeed it is a shame that they have been altered for looks only.
No RD for me. I’ll take a Stayman Winesap everytime.
Such fond memories of the 1960s growing up and my father going to the produce market and bringing home a case of Washington State Red Delicious Apples and us eating them all winter long. And they weren’t these little apples of today. They were large fist sized apples with that dark maroon skin. One bite into that thick skin with an amazing crunch and crispness of the apple. Was truly a great flavor. My I miss those apples.
I do fondly remember enjoying a Red D apple, everyday when in season, in my school lunch. Some days another once I got home if my mom had bought enough (4 kids at home). I also remember how sad it was year after year trying the Red D every season searching for that same taste & crunch, only to be disappointed year after year. There was a specific taste & crunch to the RedD that was very special, and the skin had an ever so slight bitterness that was perfect against the sweetness of the apple flesh. Firm bottom ‘bumps’ & deep mahogany red color were usually the very best chosen. This is making me miss them even more. Is there no producer out there that can revitalize that once fantastic healthy snack food??!
Wow, this story about the RD is heartbreaking. When the tasteless mealy version was everywhere I was still buying the BEST RDs at Whole Foods or other purveyors organic produce. Organic growers would never do what the did to the RD. It’s very similar to dog breeders ruining the health of dogs by focusing on a single trait they want amplified. The thought that parents made their kids eat the bastardized RDs is truly sad. Well I no longer see RDs Whole Foods here in California. I’m going to ask them and a local family owned chain if they can source them.
I have always thought the “Red Delicious” is like biting into a thick-skinned apple-flavored ball of sand. Yuck! I prefer Granny Smith apples. Yes, they are tart, but they are good for eating out of hand or cooked. I often slice them and zap them in the microwave. I used to put cinnamon imperials in the bowl as well, but that I can no longer do. Instead, I sometimes put ground cinnamon or cinnamon-flavored chocolate bits on them. Yum!
We live in the Apple Valley of Central New York and bought 5 acres of Red Delicious trees to build a home on. The trees are now old and not producing very well, but we didn’t buy to get into the business, we just wanted to live in that valley. Our Delicious apples were actually that – absolutely delicious, and I could not understand why they were so much better than what you got in the stores. They must have been from the good stock of years back, but were juicy, huge, and everyone agreed – “I don’t usually like Delicious apples, but these are amazing” was a common reaction. Unfortunately, the area grower has stopped maintaining the trees since the production was declining, but at least I can testify that, yes – red delicious can actually be, well, delicious!!