Interesting article about how and why honeycrisp apple quality has degraded over time. The main points are: being grown in bulk in climates different than before (warm Washington instead of cold...
Interesting article about how and why honeycrisp apple quality has degraded over time. The main points are:
being grown in bulk in climates different than before (warm Washington instead of cold Minnesota)
being available out of season means degradation during storage
the reason honeycrisps are so good is also what makes them degrade in storage (thin skin, large juicy cells)
I'm surprised it only briefly mentioned the Cosmic Crisp which has had a big marketing push to try and de-throne Honey Crisp. There's a ton of factors here beyond just fruit hardiness though:...
I'm surprised it only briefly mentioned the Cosmic Crisp which has had a big marketing push to try and de-throne Honey Crisp. There's a ton of factors here beyond just fruit hardiness though: changing weather patterns, patent wars, trade wars, massive orchards that began replacing their varieties several years ago. Remember it takes at least 5 years to get a new variety into production, and can take longer to scale it up for the bigger farms depending on availability from tree nurseries.
The main selling point Cosmic Crisp has over Honey Crisp is that it's had the polyphenol oxidase enzyme bred out of it, which means it doesn't really brown when cells are damaged, so you can...
The main selling point Cosmic Crisp has over Honey Crisp is that it's had the polyphenol oxidase enzyme bred out of it, which means it doesn't really brown when cells are damaged, so you can prepare cut fruit and have it last a significantly longer time before it's unappealing. A game-changer in apple quality and shelf-life.
We don't have a hunger for a specific brand name of apples, we just wants apples that taste good and hasn't been in the fridge for a year. For me, the name is tainted now, just like...
We don't have a hunger for a specific brand name of apples, we just wants apples that taste good and hasn't been in the fridge for a year.
For me, the name is tainted now, just like Chinese/American Fuji or Korean Shine Muscat : fool me eight or more times, shame on you.
When I was growing up we "flick test" apples: flick them and listen for a crisp echo. Mealy gross apples have a duller sound. I don't want to do that these days.... I buy one that looks decent and only buy more if they prove themselves. I do still buy bulk "meh" apples for baking and nutritional reasons, but I don't pay anything like top dollar for honeycrisp cosmic crisp jazz et al. When a cultivar first appears at Costco they're usually good, then they become kindred of the red delicious.
True, but -- I remember early honey crisps and they were legitimately delicious. It makes me want to visit Minnesota during the right season just to get that original taste.
True, but -- I remember early honey crisps and they were legitimately delicious. It makes me want to visit Minnesota during the right season just to get that original taste.
Interesting article about how and why honeycrisp apple quality has degraded over time. The main points are:
I'm surprised it only briefly mentioned the Cosmic Crisp which has had a big marketing push to try and de-throne Honey Crisp. There's a ton of factors here beyond just fruit hardiness though: changing weather patterns, patent wars, trade wars, massive orchards that began replacing their varieties several years ago. Remember it takes at least 5 years to get a new variety into production, and can take longer to scale it up for the bigger farms depending on availability from tree nurseries.
The main selling point Cosmic Crisp has over Honey Crisp is that it's had the polyphenol oxidase enzyme bred out of it, which means it doesn't really brown when cells are damaged, so you can prepare cut fruit and have it last a significantly longer time before it's unappealing. A game-changer in apple quality and shelf-life.
We don't have a hunger for a specific brand name of apples, we just wants apples that taste good and hasn't been in the fridge for a year.
For me, the name is tainted now, just like Chinese/American Fuji or Korean Shine Muscat : fool me eight or more times, shame on you.
When I was growing up we "flick test" apples: flick them and listen for a crisp echo. Mealy gross apples have a duller sound. I don't want to do that these days.... I buy one that looks decent and only buy more if they prove themselves. I do still buy bulk "meh" apples for baking and nutritional reasons, but I don't pay anything like top dollar for honeycrisp cosmic crisp jazz et al. When a cultivar first appears at Costco they're usually good, then they become kindred of the red delicious.
True, but -- I remember early honey crisps and they were legitimately delicious. It makes me want to visit Minnesota during the right season just to get that original taste.