There is something special about the first bite of a red, crunchy, sweet, juicy apple,
and even more so if it is a Honeycrisp apple. This modern-day variety came about in 1960,
thanks to the efforts and minds at the University of Minnesota. This apple is a bit of an anomaly,
and has a fascinating story.
A cross between Macoun and Honeygold varieties, this apple was developed to stand up against
the harsh temperatures of winter. But surprisingly, this apple really didn't take off until the
1980s. In fact, the variety almost never came to be after there were concerns that it was
not the winter-hardy tree they had hoped for. But that doesn't make for a very good story.
What makes for a great story is the fact that the Honeycrisp trees were initially thrown
out in 1977! They were almost no more… until David Bedford joined the University of Minnesota
Honeycrisp breeding team in 1979. He shared with Bloomberg News that's when he found four
clones of the breed that had survived the purge. Bedford decided to see what these leftovers
could do, and what they did was produce some of the tastiest apples ever.
Fast forward to present day, and, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. Honeycrisps
are so popular and beloved, apple eaters are willing to pay three times the price of other
apples. It helps that the Honeycrisp apple is great to snack on or bake with, which makes
it a great choice if you are in need of an all-purpose type of apple. But why are they
so expensive?
At the end of the day, the expense comes because of the TLC and hard work required to grow
the trees that yield these highly-favored fruits. Bloomberg spoke to a grower in Pennsylvania
who said they have to teach the trees not to allow their branches to get too tall, too
quickly.
Sounds like a tall order. But if the tree is overgrown, its fruit won't get enough sunlight.
Growers also noted that the fruit is vulnerable to bitter pit, which is a fancy way of saying
the trees don't get enough calcium. To combat this, growers have to give them a supplement
through the soil, or else the apples will develop unsightly brown spots. Additionally,
birds are big enthusiasts of the Honeycrisp, which means growers have to go through the
nuisance and hassle of buying and installing netting to prohibit the feathered fans from
feasting.
The challenges don't end there. From picking to storing the Honeycrisp apple, there's a
lot of time and money spent to cultivate and grow this fruit. After all that love and dedicated
toil, only 55-60 percent of the crop will make it to our grocery store shelves. How
frustrating is that?
But because demand is so great, apple growers put in the extra effort to make the Honeycrisp
part of their orchard. As Bloomberg noted, because this apple variety requires so much
of growers, they will only continue to cultivate Honeycrisps as long it makes economic sense
for their bottom line.
Despite all that grousing about how difficult it is for farmers to grow Honeycrisp apples
and how expensive they are for consumers, they still rank as the fifth most grown apple
variety. We clearly like them and aren't afraid of their price, but Cooking Light notes there's
a real push for apple growers to identify, grow, and produce apples with a similar crunch
and taste to the Honeycrisp, but that don't come with all the expensive cultivation challenges
and annoyances.
What to do if you're among those who enjoy the crunchy delicious taste of the Honeycrisp
but don't want to fork out the money for one? There are other apple varieties that you might
try that could potentially fill your Honeycrisp apple void. You could try the Ambrosia apple,
which is best described as having a sweet, crunchy honey flavor, or the SweeTango apple,
which is related to the Honeycrisp, and has a flavor that is both sweet and tart.
But it's the Crimson Crisp that's the heavyweight contender against the Honeycrisp. Growers
can pick the Crimson Crisp for five weeks, compared to three weeks for the Honeycrisp,
and it doesn't bruise as easily.
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