If you told me to find the most popular apple we sell just by looks, I would probably search for an apple that had all the right features – bright red or green in color, uniform shape, shiny skin, etc. After all, that’s all you find in the produce section of the grocery store. But honeycrisp are a different story. After one bite, I was hooked on this apple.
Honeycrisp apples are well-named, as it’s two main features are it’s sweet taste and perfect crunch. I never thought I liked “sweet” apples before, but the combination of this apple’s appealing crunch and slightly tart overtones on the mostly sweet apple made it quickly become one of my favorite apples.
According to Honeycrisp.org, the honeycrisp was developed by the University of Minnesota from cross between Macoun and Honeygold in 1991. It took until the early 2000’s for Honeycrisp apples to make it to the Delaware Valley, as growers have to wait more than 5 years from the time they decide to plant a tree until their trees are productive.
Then the challenge is always keeping up with the demand, as honeycrisp apples are a greatly sought-after variety. In the few short years that we have been carrying honeycrisp apples, they have taken our apple sales by storm – making up about 60% of our September apple sales.
Honeycrisp are certainly a favorite variety among our staff and customers alike for eating and for baking. But keep in mind that there are currently 10 more varieties to choose from, so there’s no need to get tired of the honeycrisp!