The History of Honeycrisp Apples

In 1983, David Bedford was working as a research scientist at the University of Minnesota. Along with his fellow seed breeders, he created an apple tree labeled MN1711. It bore fruit that was a cross between the Keepsake apple and another experimental variety known as MN1627. He liked the resulting fruit enough to keep working on the project and with the help of Dr. Jim Luby, the former director of the University of Minnesota’s fruit breeding program, he worked on improving the apple’s hardiness, texture, and flavor. They named the resulting apple variety Honeycrisp. In 1991, Bedford and Luby introduced Honeycrisp seedlings to nurseries and farmers. At first, the variety was limited to its native Minnesota and was later introduced to the rest of the Midwest. It remained a seasonal fruit for a while and was only available between September and February. Scarcity and positive word of mouth drove up its popularity and consumers began actively seeking out the new fruit. Additionally, the time was ripe for a new apple variety; while Red Delicious had dominated American produce shelves for decades, Granny Smith apples had already been introduced in the 1970s, and the public was primed for another new option. Indeed, Honeycrisp apples all but redefined the fruit and introduced crisp, intensely flavorful apples to American grocery store shelves for the first time. However, the Honeycrisp apple was bred for taste, not for ease of growing, storage, and shipment. Most apples grown in the United States come from Washington state, but the Honeycrisp variety wasn’t well-suited to the climate there. Still, apple farmers invested in the new produce, in part because it commanded high prices at supermarkets. (At the height of the Honeycrisp craze in 2012 and 2013, the apples retailed for $4.50 per pound in New York City.) To meet demand, farmers in Washington began growing large amounts of the apples and storing them so that they could be made available year-round, but between the crop’s finnicky nature, the mismatched growing climate, and prolonged storage periods, the quality of Honeycrisp apples began to suffer. By the time the apples reached consumers, they were often inferior and lacked the original taste and texture that fans had grown to love. Because of this, Honeycrisp apples have begun to decline in popularity. While Honeycrisp apples aren’t as popular as they once were, they are still widely sought after by many consumers. Additionally, they have truly left their mark on consumer tastes, as many of the newer apple varieties coming onto the market are actually developed from the Honeycrisp!