Dec 11, 2019
“It’s the juiciness that stands out with the Cosmic Crisp® apple. It's unusual to have an apple that’s just that juicy.”
- Kate Evans (16:34-16:42)
Kate Evans, a professor at the Department of Horticulture at Washington State University, has been instrumental in leading the University's apple breeding program within its Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.
The center is focused on researching tree fruits from the horticultural perspective as well as looking at aspects related to pathology and entomology. The results of their research are shared with the produce industry, and the center works to educate the next generation of researchers and industry members.
“The Cosmic Crisp® apple continues to stand out to my team. We’ve tasted every fruit in our lab, but we still go back and have an extra bite at the end of the day.” - Kate Evans (15:58-16:19)
The Birth of the Cosmic Crisp® Apple
The process of breeding a new apple is pretty straightforward. Researchers take two parents based on the qualities they’re looking to improve. They take the pollen from one variety and use it to pollenize the stigmas of the other variety to produce the seed resulting from that cross-breeding.
The apples they produce must demonstrate a level of robustness that helps them survive the refrigeration, packing, and other processes required to bring fruits to market.
The Cosmic Crisp® is the Best of Both Worlds
The Cosmic Crisp® apple was tested against the popular Gala and Honeycrisp apples, and researchers received positive results from consumers on the apple’s appearance, taste, and texture.
The apple stands out for its high level of juiciness, and the flavor of the Cosmic Crisp® apple is a balance between tartness and sweetness, giving consumers the best of both worlds.
The Cosmic Crisp® apple is a beautiful fruit. The fruit got its name from the deep red color of the apple combined with the white pores in the peel, giving consumers the impression of looking at the cosmos.
“We have tart apples, we have super sweet apples, and then we have the Cosmic Crisp®, which is the best of both worlds.”
- Lori Taylor (17:37-17:43)
The Cosmic Crisp® apple bakes well, but you can enjoy it raw or by adding slices to a charcuterie board to pair with your favorite cheeses. Another important characteristic of this apple is that it’s slow to oxidize, which means it won’t brown quickly.
The introduction of the Cosmic Crisp® apple is another example of the delicious new varieties of fruits making their way to local grocery stores.
As more consumers taste different varieties of apples and other fruits, they can expand their palates when it comes to choosing healthy fruits and vegetables. To learn more about the Cosmic Crisp® apple, visit www.cosmiccrisp.com to see what’s in store.
How to get involved
- Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!
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