Pick a Pluot
If you ever wonder what to do with the extra time on your hands (if you have any), you should try inventing fruit. That’s what Floyd Zaiger of Modesto, California did - he invented the pluot, which is the subject of a U.S. Plant Patent. Michael Marks of the Sacramento Bee informs us that “the lovable pluot” is coming to a produce department near you. A pluot is “roughly two-thirds plum and one-third apricot — the best of both worlds. Of all the plums planted in California over the past few years, about two-thirds are now Zaiger’s pluot.”
In a Fortune article, Zaiger is referred to as “the most prolific fruit breeder in the world” and the “father of exotic fruit.” He has “patented more than 200 new varieties of fruit, all through conventional pollination.” His company, called Zaiger Genetics, employs the motto: “Family Organized to Improve Fruit Worldwide.”
Supermarkets are now greeting several new varieties of pluots, including the “Flavor Express,” “Flavor Dynamite” and “Flavor Grenade.” These pluots are juicy and full of sugar, so Marks recommends them as an addition to school lunches. According to Wikipedia, in addition to high sugar content, pluots are also rich in vitamin A.
[Photo of “Flavor King” pluot from Dave Wilson Nursery]
