Nutrient availability, in particular nitrate availability, influences the taste of apples and other fruits. Very low nitrate leads to a sour and tart taste, while moderately high nitrate results in sweeter and mild apples. The BTB-TAZ domain protein MdBT2 is now identified as a key regulator connecting nitrate signaling, vacuolar acidification, and malate accumulation. MdBT2 directly interacts with key transcription factors that regulate the expression of vacuolar proton pumps and the malate channel MdALMT9. Expression of these genes influences the amount of malate stored in vacuoles, which in turn determines the tartness or sweetness of apples and many other fruits. Adapted from Zhang et al. (2020); image generated with biorender.