In case you missed it, Star Tribune reporter Kim Palmer wrote a fascinating story about David Bedford, a master apple breeder at the University of Minnesota who tastes 500 to 600 apples a day. The U's research is one of three major apple breeding programs in the nation, and began more than a century ago. Teams of University researchers have introduced 27 new apple varieties during that time, including the popular Honeycrisp in 1991, Zestar! in 1998, and SweeTango in 2009.

To read the story, go to: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/282309561.html