Apple Fad

I'm a huge fan of apples; they're crisp and always refreshing, the perfect snack. Personally, my favorite variety is the Gala apple. I've eaten them since I was a kid and I've never had one fail me. On the other hand, my least favorite is the Red Delicious. Regardless of personal favorites though, there are endless varieties to choose from to suit you. Just this year I was walking through the supermarket and saw the largest apple I have ever seen. I actually had to laugh it seemed so ridiculous. My friends seemed unfazed by the apple however, and promptly told me it was a Honeycrisp apple. I was assured that this variety held all of the best traits of other apples--crunch, texture, flavor, etc. So I bought one. It lived up to it's reputation, but I still had to wonder about this apple's background so I did some research. 

Size comparison:

http://blog.recipeforfitness.com/2011/11/size-matters.html

The Honeycrisp apple was created in 1960 from a cross between a Macoun and a Honeygold at the University of Minnesota as a part of their apple breeding program; the first seedling was planted at the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center in 1962. It was developed to be a winter-hardy cultivar with a good fruit quality. The Honeycrisp was released to mass markets in 1991 and has become a prized commodity since. The apples were aptly named Honeycrisp, since they were described as sweet as honey and "explosively crisp". Honeycrisps have been known to grow in both warm and cooler climates across the United States (including California, Minnesota, Washington and many New England states). Additionally, attempts are being made to cultivate them in other countries in Europe as well as New Zealand and Australia. Lastly, Honeycrisps maintain their sweet flavor even when cooked, so their uses cover a wide range from eating raw to baking.

I also recently heard a brief, but interesting report on NPR about not only Honeycrisps, but also some older more unique apple varieties and their varying tastes. Read the transcript here: http://m.npr.org/story/6358718. 

I know it's silly, but these apples really are the best. I would highly recommend trying one, you might just abandon your current favorite...   

Sources:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/5877_01.html   

http://www.bctree.com/products/view/apples