Honeycrisp Apple genetics

Boring + weird = amazing?

How can a tasteless boring apple be crossed with a hard and irregularly shaped apple to produce an explosively juicy apple with a sweet, tangy taste? In this lesson you will demonstrate how. The offspring apple is called the Honeycrisp, and since its release a few decades ago, it has become the third most popular apple in the US despite being very expensive. 

The Honeycrisp had much bigger cells than other apple varieties. These cells are full of tart-sweet juice. Due to their large cell size, the cells break open when you bite into the apple. Other apples have small cells that break between cells so don't release their cell juice right away.

By the way, they forgot to keep the tasteless boring apple tree (MN1627), so this parent of the Honeycrisp is gone for good. The other parent, the Keepsake apple, is tasty and may be found in Farmer's markets.

Taste test

Before starting the genetics activity, ask your family to obtain one each of several different apple varieties from the supermarket and do taste-test comparisons. 

Which is crisper? Softer?

Which is sweeter? More tart? Is there one that balances the two?

Which is juicier? Mealier (like flour)?

If you taste a boring Honeycrisp, this is because farmers are growing it in the wrong place and storing it too long. Unfortunately the Honeycrisp prefers to grow in cold Minnesota where it was bred. Currently, most Honeycrisps come from Washington State, a warmer state that does not produce such zesty Honeycrisps. When Honeycrisp apples are stored, they lose their flavor and crispness. Fortunately, the Honeycrisp had a baby bred in Washington State called Cosmic Crisp. Now taste Cosmic Crisp and see what you think!