Emily Kwong

I know that's a cross between a Honeycrisp and a Fuji, but I got to admit, I have no idea how that happens.

It's science.

And the science of apple breeding is fascinating.

Like, Emily, there's 7,500 varieties of apples grown around the world.

That is so many.

I thought I knew a whole bunch of types of apples, but I didn't realize there were thousands.

Yeah.

Most of them, like Ruby Frost or Snapdragon, are invented by breeders like Susan.

She's basically the Willy Wonka of apples.

Wait, I think I've eaten Snapdragons in New York.

They're really crunchy.

That's Susan's apple.

And as the Willy Wonka of apples, she's always on the hunt for a better one.

Because even my favorite apple, Honeycrisp, turns out it's not perfect.

So when breeders are experimenting with apples, oftentimes they're trying to increase storability or disease resistance, basically to minimize the loss and maximize the benefits of any given apple variety.

So today on the show, the science of apples.

How apples are selected, bred, and grown.

And the discoveries that are changing that process.

Plus, how scientists are preserving the apples of the past in hopes they'll lead us to the fruit of the future.

You're listening to ShoreWave, the science podcast from NPR.