Greenstar apples don’t go brown.
A caller off air asked whether there was anything sinister about this – the implication being that it was somehow the product of evil genetic engineering.
Well, yes and no.
It turns out that these particular apples are the product of cross breeding. That is, by a process that I don’t quite understand, somehow two species are crossed to make a new one. Is this genetic engineering? Well, it depends how you look at it.
On the one hand it certainly is genetic engineering, as it was a deliberate attempt to create a new breed of apple. On the other hand, it may be considered to not be genetic engineering, as it was not a whipped up in a laboratory by a crazy-haired scientist evilly chuckling with his plans for world domination.
A bit over the top perhaps, but that is how many see genetic engineering. The fact is that genetic engineering is neither good nor bad. If the products it produces are good then it has benefited us, that if on the other hand, the products it produces are somehow a part of an evil corporate plot to obtain a monopoly or something, it is bad.
Anyhow, back to our apples.
The brown that forms on apples is essentially rust – formed by pretty much the same mechanism as bore stains. Aerobic bacteria oxidise iron in the water to form ferric oxide.
So why don’t these apples go brown? I’d suggest there are two possibilities. Firstly, the apples may simply be hostile towards the bacteria that cause the oxidation for some reason – not being a microbiologist I couldn’t even guess what that might be.
The other possibility is the elevated level of vitamin C in these apples. Vitamin C is an oxygen scavenger, and will suck any oxygen up before it gets a chance to form the oxide.
Chances are it’s probably a combination of both factors.
But I haven’t tried one yet, so I don’t know what they taste like. One of the apples that was used to make them is Granny Smith, however, which is probably my least favourite apple, so I’m not confident.
Att Dr Chemical
You should try Greenstar as is a unique apple that is very sweet and crunchy, not at all like Granny Smith.
This apple is a natural cross of two varieties and has no manipulation of any nature. All new apples are natural crosses.
Greenstar is totally non browning due to the fact that the natural vitamin c conent is not only higher than most other apples,but spread unifirmly throughout the entire flesh, whereas in most apples it is more concentrated near the skin.
Hence the reason is clear why it does not oxidise.
Desmond Muir, Greenstar Kanzi Australia