Ed's Head sees Red

The demand for red apples is almost a neurosis.

I don’t get it! What is this? if it isn’t red it isn’t an apple?
I say if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

The demand for red apples is on....The question is, who’s demanding?

Maybe it is the idea that red sells, or the produce department needs to make the section look good.

Could it be that Red Delicious apples are so darn good that the public demands all apples be like Red Delicious? Or is it an Australian and Washington state conspiracy to make all apples red?

I don't know, but I do see that if the apple variety isn't RED, the hybridizers will quickly make it red. What is it about green, yellow and brown that is so unattractive?

I can see it if the fruit type was the color orange, and that all the varieties of this orange fruit were orange.

I might just call the fruit an orange.

Red is not the only color an apple comes in, although every time I turn around, there is a red type of some apple being introduced that was previously known by another color.

I can still remember this ugly green apple variety that came along and completely turned the apple market on its ear. The variety was good for the growers because it sold for lots of money. It was great for the consumers because it had really great taste (which had been missing in apples at the time), so the consumers would buy more and return to buy again.

This is a fruit variety that people talked about around the water cooler.
The variety is the Fuji apple, and I will bet that the average consumer has not seen a green one in years.

I realize that one has to compete, and that all I am talking about is people trying to compete in this tight market. Though from what I understand about marketing, the object is not to make your product look just like what the other guy has. That is called “coat tailing”.

Making money is about being on the cutting edge with something different.

Maybe the produce stand should look like an ad for Crayola™ crayons,
because that's how many varieties of great tasting different colored apples there are.

Growers might grow a greater selection of varieties.
Less flooding of the market with a few commodity varieties and
Greater exposure to the great depth of different colored apples.
The ones that don't store well ought to be grown just for the fresh fruit part of the season.
The ones that do store well are only sold until a certain time each year, a time when the apple still tastes good, not just looks good.

I guess that I am just an apple snob because I taste 10 or so new (to me, at any rate...) apples each year and most of those are old varieties.

There are so many each year that taste great, and the sad part is,
you can only get them at a few choice places around the country.

Maybe they can only grow well in specific areas, so only a few growers would have them for sale.
Now don't get me wrong - I also try some great new varieties, and some are even Red.

Trying to figure out a way to influence the market is the challenge.

Start by checking out the little roadside apple stands
or taking a trip to an apple-growing region near you.

Check out a few varieties that you have not tried before - Maybe one that isn't even red.

Always ask what the growers favorites are.
Share the ones that are your favorites with family, friends and neighbors.

Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool. Start a movement.

Oh...when you find the ones that you like...buy a tree and plant it!!!