Is it consoling or depressing that everything in the universe can be reduced to math? That might rank as #1 among things beyond the purview of the Foods For Living blog. Let's narrow our scope a tad, and talk about fresh produce.
Part of what makes biting into the perfect apple (or peach, or pear) such a joy is the mystery, yes? Will this fruit be a particularly good one? And even all those out-of-season, white, sad tomatoes serve a purpose--their lack of luster throws the juicy, plump, red tomatoes of the world into greater relief. The sheer spectrum of quality in the produce world keeps the experience fresh, even when the fruit isn't. Even identical-looking strawberries may yield vastly different amounts of sweetness. But what if you could forgo all of this mystery, and make your produce adventures more predictable (if less mysterious)?
Welcome to the world of high-Brix cultivation.
If you Google "high Brix," you'll get acquainted with the late researcher and lecturer Carey Reams. This wouldn't be a problem if the late researcher and lecturer Carey Reams wasn't so totally insane. So before this becomes a hit piece about a charlatan you've never heard of, let's figure out what Brix is. (Then we can take a few parting shots at Carey "Dr. Oz of his generation" Reams).
Why is Brix thus?
In 1798, in the sleepy little city of Wesel, Germany, a man was born by the name of Adolf Ferdinand Wenceslaus(!) Brix. He was a sharp guy, working for the Ministry of Trade, and ultimately rising to the lofty position of Director of the Royal Prussian Commission for Measurements.
Brix, along with some of his contemporaries (for which other units measuring the same thing are named), made tables by which one could see how a known quantity of sugar related to a certain specific gravity. This remains useful for brewers who want to know how much sugar is in their wort, for instance.
Industries that use degrees Brix as a measurement have their own methods, but today, almost anyone can measure degrees Brix using, of all things, a refractometer.
A refractometer can measure a drop of liquid's sugar and mineral content by the way in which said drop distorts light passing through it. (Technically, it references a refraction index against the degree to which the drop rotates a plane of linearly polarized light.)
What's this mean to the consumer and gardener?
You can purchase a refractometer for $20-$100. You can then carry this device with you at all times like some sucrose-obsessed mad scientist, constantly imposing on grocery store personnel and farmers market merchants for drops of fruit juice to test. 
OK, so maybe that's not the best idea. But you could use such a device in your garden to measure the immeasurable: how "good" a piece of produce is. And this is a great, precise metric if you're serious about horticulture.
If you're anti-woo, like I am, it's important to understand that everything above reflects legitimate science. Degrees Brix is a standard metric used by many industries. It's confusing and unfortunate that a corner of the Internet has created a relationship between the concept of measuring degrees Brix and the aforementioned "Dr." Carey Reams.
Reams, like so many before and after him, is the originator of many a compellingly wild pull quote, such as "All disease is the result of a mineral deficiency." He was the brainchild of many a quack theory, and was prosecuted in the 1970s for practicing medicine without a license. Oh, and he was also an advocate for high-Brix produce. But some of his other pet ideas, which I won't lend incidental credibility to by using his ridiculous names for them, lie between dangerous and hilarious. But the Brix thing is legit.
Given the way that food costumer evolution has trended thus far, it's not unreasonable to imagine an era in which fussy (discerning) shoppers are pricking apples in the supermarket and consulting their pocket refractometers. And that may be a good thing. But if that's too weird for you, measuring Brix levels is still a great way of honing your home gardening skills. And it makes you seem like a scientist. And now that I've armed you with knowledge, you won't fall into the many pits of misinformation surrounding the study of high Brix cultivation online.
