How do you like them apples? Taste backlash hits Honeycrisps
Walk around a New York farmers market, and you’ll hear one word incessantly, whether you’re standing by the purple carrots or the Hudson Valley Duck. That word is “Honeycrisp.”
Honeycrisps have become so popular they are now the fifth-most-grown apple, bypassing Golden Delicious; by 2020 they could become the thirdmost-grown variety.
Now growers have had enough of them. Not only has the Honeycrisp’s dominance caused major problems for East Coast farms because of the high maintenance they require, there’s a taste backlash, too.
“There are so many apples that are just as good or better,” says Tom Maynard of Maynard Farms in Ulster Park, New York, who has pick-your-own orchards in the Hudson Valley and brings his produce to McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N.Y., on the weekends. “AHoneycrisp is sweet, crunchy, juicy — and that’s the end. I grow them for consumers. I was never a fan.”
Among the varieties Maynard champions is the Evercrisp, which now outsell his Honeycrisps even though he’s priced them the same at $2.20 a pound. Honeycrisps typically sell for $1.50 a pound more than other apples.
“Almost everyone who tastes it prefers it over Honeycrisp. It has more varietal flavor,” says Maynard.
Other heavy-hitting apples are on deck, with names that feed off the Honeycrisp’s most outstanding attribute — its crunch.
Cameo
Discovered in Washington State in 1987 by accident, this apple has gained traction in the last few years and can now be found in supermarkets. It’s dull red with stripes of yellow. Caramelized fruit, nicely tart, with a dense bite. Generously juicy.
GoldRush
Yellow in color (hence the name), the GoldRush was developed in the 1990s and traces its breeding to the Golden Delicious. Very firm and crisp, with brisk tartness. It’s like the most interesting Granny Smith you’ve ever tasted.
Ruby Frost
The Ruby Frost, bright red with splashes of yellow, was released by the New York Apple Growers association and Cornell University in 2010, complete with a blue snowflake logo and a catchphrase — “Cool, Crisp, Craveable.” It was created to have high vitamin C content. Mellow sweetness and honeydew flavor; strong, crunchy texture.
Suncrisp
Released in the mid-’90s, the greenish-red Suncrisp is round and plump and also has roots in the Golden Delicious family. A complex, tropical fruit-andpear taste; not as juicy or as crisp as some other Honeycrisp contenders.
Ambrosia
Discovered in British Columbia in the ’90s, the Ambrosia has been making inroads in the U.S. It’s been a bright spot in apple sales over the past few years, along with Honeycrisps, thanks in part to its voluptuous size and golden hue, with bright red stripes. Comes on strong with sweetness that fades; a boatload of juiciness and crunch.
Snapdragon
Another graduate of Cornell’s apple-breeding program, the Snapdragon is a direct descendant of the Honeycrisp. It’s millennial enough to have a video game-esque dragon logo, a dedicated homepage, and even Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Gently sweet with a perfumed aftertaste; whitefleshed and thick-skinned, with moderate crunch.
Evercrisp
A cross between two hugely popular apples, the Fuji and Honeycrisp, the Evercrisp was introduced by the Midwest Apple Improvement Association around six years ago. Growers like them because they’re thicker-skinned and sturdier than Honeycrisps. In-your-face candied-apple sweetness, with a background tang and monstrous crunch. Exceptional.