Apples are back. Did they go somewhere? Well, kind of.
For decades, America's iconic fruit faded into a bland grocery store culture that rewards uniformity, color and good looks over flavor, texture, variety and nuance. But with more consumers heading to farmers markets, apples in all their varietal glory are making a comeback.
At one time, thousands of varieties of apples grew in the U.S. Many were not particularly great tasting, but an apple that could grow in a harsh climate and survive a cold winter in a root cellar had great value.
Commercially, there are now exponentially fewer types of apples available, but many old varieties are still around in smaller orchards, and new varieties are constantly being developed by intrepid farmers and scientists.
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