What do you mean, split an apple?
Right down the middle.
What human being can do that?
Surely nobody but Paul Rudd!
I love a good feat of strength and/or skill.
(See also: my brief obsessions with bending nails and flipping kettlebells.)
It is a feat of strength, and not everybody can do it.
But far more people can do it than probably suspect they can.
It turns out, Adam is right.
I watched a few YouTube videos on apple splitting, but ultimately it is the apple that teaches you.
How to crack that apple
First, if you have small hands, choose a small apple.
And double-check the apple is a crunchy one; a fresh Honeycrisp works well.
(My first try was a medium size Gala, and it was tough but I got it.)
Then:
Locate the squishy, meaty muscle at the base of your thumb.
Wedge the thumb meat of both hands into the divot at the top of the apple.
Compress the apple top to bottom as hard as you’re free to.
It may help to press the apple against your knee or another convenient surface.
While doing this, pull the apple apart, like opening a book.
If you run into trouble, try a smaller or crispier apple.
And dont get discouraged.
Give it a tryyou might surprise yourself!
But the apple I had on hand–a Kanzi–wasn’t cooperating.
I could get some different apples at the store.
Or maybe I could just cheat.
I know from experience that the apple-splitting phenomenon starts with a small, audible crack.
So what if I give that initial split just a little bit of help?
Then I returned to my apple-splitting efforts.
As I predicted, the cracking noise began almost immediately.
I kept the pressure on, and soon the apple cracked in half just as I was hoping.
I hereby deem this a not-too-cheaty-cheat.
So go forth and split an apple, ya cheater.
