A sweet twist to this year's drought

AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - First it was the cherries, then the peaches, and soon the apples.  If you remember, March was an unusually warm month for the eastern half of the country.  The warmth lured the fruit trees to blossom early, until a late-spring freeze destroyed some of them.

According to Pauline Lannon, President of Atkins Farms in Amherst , some orchards across Massachusetts lost all of their fruit. Luckily, however, this wasn't a widespread problem. 

"It was spotty depending on the area.", she said.  "Apples in a low-lying area where the frost is worse, we lost, but the higher areas were fine."

Something that happened in March will lead to a problem this fall.  Because the fruit crop was destroyed, that means less supply.  In turn, come September, apple lovers may have to pay more for juices, ciders, and sauces.

In additions to a warm March, more than half of the country has been contending with the worst drought in 56 years .  As the Midwest has been dealing with exceptional drought conditions for months, the corn and soybean crops have suffered.

But here's a sweet twist!

Some crops impacted by the drought, will actually have a more intense flavor!  Certain fruits and vegetables like peppers, onions, garlic, beets, tomatoes, peaches, and melons will grow with a low water content.

Take chili peppers for example.  When chili peppers grow with less water, they produce more capsaicin , which will make the peppers taste hotter.

Summer favorites like watermelon and cantaloupe will taste sweeter.  Low water intake causes the melon plants to become stressed, and the stressed plants will produce more sugar.

A fall favorite - pumpkins - may thrive with the recent drought.  Less rain means drier soil which means the pumpkins could last longer.