March 8, 2026
Cherry drama, zero pits
A basket of new fruit varieties is coming your way
Seedless blackberries, stoneless cherries: joy for some, “fruit-candy” fears for others
TLDR: Pairwise says gene-edited blackberries with soft, tiny seeds and stoneless cherries are coming. Fans cheer the convenience, while others warn about sugar creep, lost nutrients, and vanishing heirloom flavors—turning the fruit aisle into a showdown between seedless bliss and “don’t turn produce into candy.”
Gene-edited fruit just went full drama: biotech firm Pairwise says seedless-feel blackberries (tiny, soft seeds) and stoneless cherries are on the way—and the comments section turned into the produce aisle version of a reality show. The hype squad showed up first, led by Cider9986, who swears fruit upgrades are life-changing and drops a glowing ode to Sumo Citrus: easy peel, super juicy, perfect texture. Cue cravings.
But the sugar police arrived fast. pinkmuffinere is excited yet anxious, worrying that sweeter, candy-like fruit will crowd out low-sugar options and crank up the self-control tax. Then came the heritage defenders: prewett wants the old-school apples back—Cortland, Winesap—grumbling that modern varieties lean on Red Delicious DNA and lose character. Meanwhile, sublinear launched the all-caps dystopia: fears of nutrient cuts to save costs, “fruit turned into candy” and a future where everyone has diabetes by 40.
And because it’s the internet, one hero, passwordoops, sidestepped the fruit fight to roast the site’s privacy pop-up: if you cared, you wouldn’t track me. Bottom line: between seedless bliss and sugar panic, nostalgia for heirloom flavors and suspicion of corporate tinkering, the fruit aisle is now a culture war with pits removed and opinions fully intact.
Key Points
- •Pairwise is developing gene-edited blackberries that feel seedless due to tiny, soft seeds.
- •These blackberries are not technically seedless; the seeds are made unnoticeable to consumers.
- •Pairwise announced in late 2023 that it developed stoneless cherries.
- •The work builds on conventionally bred successes such as seedless grapes, seedless watermelons, and easy-peel mandarins.
- •The article indicates that similar traits may be extended to other, more challenging fruits over time.