North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Doc Lisenby <longdistshtr@shtc.net>]

To re-force Jerry's observation, I'll add that some people like to gnaw on 
chicken gristle but to me it  feels like chewing rubber.  Some of these 
opinions about mealy vs. crispy apples must be acquired/learned sometime in 
life.  Avoidance of disliked foodstuffs obviously re-enforces this bias.
I didn't like squash/pumpkin/gourd in any form until that was all I had to 
eat as a POW.  Now I can eat all of them without hesitation.  We are just 
lucky to have the choice.

Donna mentioned storage.  I think there is some merit to what she said.  I 
get chilled  Red Delicious Apples from Washington (from lack of choice and 
frugality).  They are crisp and sweet.   So are mine, of which I get a few 
practically every year.  Mine turn mealy within hours so I try to eat them 
out-of-hand or dry them quickly unless I make apple sauce or vinegar.  I 
can't imagine that any apple I am fortunate enough to harvest here in Zone 
7/8  flatlands to retain crispiness unless they are refrigerated.
Just my 3¢.
Doc