Apple Cultivars, New And Old

[col klink]

Since I've moved to Minnesota, I've discovered a new apple called the Honeycrisp. It's a fantastic apple. It's closest relative is the Fuji apple but the Honeycrisp is not quite as sweet but not as sour as the Granny Smith while being just as firm (as the Fuji). I assumed that since I had never seen one that they must be a local variety but in fact it is new within the last 5 years. Only thing is, the ones that I'm finding here in Minnesota are grown in Washington. How come I never saw any in Seattle when I lived there only this last summer?

(and yes, I did check apple varieties while I was there because I was always looking for a Criterion. I foun one six years ago and I haven't been able to find them since.)

[trillium]

They're here in Portland, but New Seasons has a good produce buyer. They weren't my favorite, I like something a little more aromatic and tart, but they are a nice apple.

regards,

trillium

[Cusina]

They grow the honeycrisp here in Wisconsin as well, and they are delicious. We often buy them at the Saturday farmer's market and even occasionally see them in the grocery. Of course our apple season is long past. Have to eat applesauce and wait for next September for the local ones.

[guajolote]

i know they grow them in michigan too (where the best apples come from ). my dad goes crazy over them. when we were smoking that prime rib iris was picking some at a local orchard.

the farmer who i buy most of my produce from grows 120 different varieties of apples so i can't keep track of what kind i'm eating.

[hjshorter]

This is my new favorite variety, but I think they're disappearing from the local stores. Fragrant, crisp and juicy. Imported Pink Ladies are my next fave.

[Cusina]

This is my new favorite variety, but I think they're disappearing from the local stores.

Funny, I had the opposite impression. I only saw honeycrisp for sale once last year at an apple orchard. This year they were at the orchard in larger numbers, at the farmer's market AND in the regular grocery. I think they are getting to be more popular.

[mamster]

It's definitely a rising star. At the supermarket I saw them for as much as $2.50 a pound, but at the Tonnemaker stand at the University Farmer's Market, they were less than a buck. I think my favorites are the Jonagolds, maybe Braeburn. And sometimes it's got to be a Granny.

[ExtraMSG]

I think I saw them at Whole Foods here in Portland a couple days ago. I think they were about $2/lb, but their apples are relatively high priced, though apples seem a little high right now in general. But that's why I'm buying pears right now.

[chefette]

I picked up a basket of them at the local Farmer's Market here in Virginia this Fall. They were great. Firm, crisp, nice balance of sweetness/tartness, great flavor. I have never seen them in stores though.

My standby at the store is the Moutaineer Apple. They are sort of lopsided, but crisp and tasy (though they seem a bit sweet)

[col klink]

i know they grow them in michigan too (where the best apples come from ).

Yes, Michigan does grow some nice apples but my wife recently picked up some Honeycrisps from Michigan and they pailed in comparison to the ones from Washington. I will grant that the grocery store in question often has questionable produce.

[tsquare]

I was buying them from PCC early this fall - but they were organic, grown in Canada (not!). Big, crispy, sweet tart. I think they were $1.99-2.49 per lb! Didn't see Washington grown. Didn't look at the Farmers Markets. Saw them at Sosio's, but didn't ask the origin.

Edit - reread my October post on Oak Glen, in the California thread - the Honeycrisp were local (Washington State), it was Ambrosia that were Canadian.

Edited December 5, 2003 by tsquare (log)

[bobsdf]

They are a relativley new variety. They were mentioned in a NYTimes article here.

I've been buying them from a local orchard just north west of Toronto where they are nearly out of this years product. The proprietor said the trees (fairly new) just started producing this year and will have much better production next year.

[NeroW]

They sell Honeycrisp at Dominick's in Chicago. One of the Baking chefs here at school brought them in about 3 weeks ago. She said she got them at Dominick's. They are very, very good.

[jhlurie]

They've been selling Honeycrisps here in the NY/NJ area this year. I've tried to get a few people interested in them, but the reaction has pretty much been "oh, another new apple?" It's too bad, because they are great.

They are advertised as Washington State Apples, so I guess Klink's experience in not finding them there is kind of weird.

[Anna N]

We discovered these apples late last year and fell in love with them. This year they appeared for only about two weeks in our local supermarket (Ontario, Canada) and now seem to have gone again. Shame - one of the nicest apples I have ever had.

[Crystal]

I Love, Love, Love these. So far I've only found them at the farmers market.

Crystal

[HungryChris]

The company I work for, (CSC) gave us a free certificate to pick apples a few years ago and Deb and I had so much fun doing it, (picking apples, that is), we went back to a place that let you pick your own apples last year. The Honey Crisp is the apple that stands out in my mind as the best tasting of the bunch, but it didn't last well. I suspect that it is the short storage time of the Honey Crisp that has kept it quiet.

HC

[heyjude]

They have been available at several stores here in Seattle including QFC, where I usually avoid all produce, and they are my new very favorite. Unlike many Washington apples, they have a tender skin and crisp flesh. I was told they were an accidental midwest hybrid whose discoverer sent them to a Washington orchardist thinking they would grow well here. At first, they only seemed to be available in huge or huger (large enough to share between 3 people), although the last two times I found them at Whole Foods, they were the size of an average Eastern Macintosh. Their very short season is just about over. Any we see now will likely have been stored.

[Batgrrrl]

They have been available at several stores here in Seattle including QFC, where I usually avoid all produce, and they are my new very favorite. Unlike many Washington apples, they have a tender skin and crisp flesh. I was told they were an accidental midwest hybrid whose discoverer sent them to a Washington orchardist thinking they would grow well here. At first, they only seemed to be available in huge or huger (large enough to share between 3 people), although the last two times I found them at Whole Foods, they were the size of an average Eastern Macintosh. Their very short season is just about over. Any we see now will likely have been stored.

(Hi Judy! We miss you!)

On the storage time--this is a problem indeed. Klink refers above to some that we bought from a store that doesn't have great produce generally, and I'm pretty sure they were last year's crop, held over in cold storage. They were mealy indeed.

The last batch Klink picked up from Cub foods (which seems to have the corner on them here in MN, at least--that's where my dad started getting them, and he's the one who told us about them) are huge, like you say--we split one last night and it was more than enough.

Has anybody tried them in baking? I'm curious to see what they'd be like in a pie.

On a related note, one of the best cherry pies I ever made was using Ranier cherries, those lovely red/blush/yellow ones--it was also gorgeous!

Batgrrrl

[trillium]

For them that cares (I like knowing apple lineages), I looked them up at home last night and found that they were developed at the Experimental Station at the University of Minnesota from a Macoun and Honeygold cross. The Honeygold cross is a Golden Delicious + something else.

regards,

trillium

[col klink]

Cool!

[Schneier]

Yes, honeycrisps are grand.

The U of Minn develops all sorts of plants for this climate. It's one of their jobs.

Bruce

[Nana_Kat]

I think they had them at Larry's in Queen Anne a month or two ago. I just remembered them because the cashier hadn't seen them before, neither had I. Errr...I bought them just because they were on sale :\, quite plump and juicy though. Don't know if they are still there.

[Blue Heron]

They have been available at several stores here in Seattle including QFC, where I usually avoid all produce, and they are my new very favorite. Unlike many Washington apples, they have a tender skin and crisp flesh. I was told they were an accidental midwest hybrid whose discoverer sent them to a Washington orchardist thinking they would grow well here. At first, they only seemed to be available in huge or huger (large enough to share between 3 people), although the last two times  I found them at Whole Foods, they were the size of an average Eastern Macintosh. Their very short season is just about over. Any we see now will likely have been stored.

heyjude, thx for turning me onto the honeycrisp back in September.

They have become my favorite apple now. The first ones we bought were really huge. They were about $2.49-$3/lb. Hubby complained because 2 apples came to $4. Yikes! (not used to paying that much for 2 apples). But then like you said, later on in the season, we also found some that were not so large, and the price came down. Very crisp, clean and sweet with a hint of tartness, just as I like. We bought ours at Admiral Thriftway (now known as Metropolitan Market) in W. Seattle. PCC also carried them. This was the first year I had ever seen or heard about them.

Edited December 8, 2003 by Blue Heron (log)

[LEdlund]

I first had these at heyjude's house too. They are soooooo good. I checked them out at Whole Foods yesterday, but they felt a little mushy so I didn't get one.