I tried the five million dollar new apple today -- Cosmic Crisp.

[Grasswire2]

Rolled out to the public this fall with five million dollars of publicity. Exclusively grown in Washington State.

I paid for one apple at $2.49/pound, to taste test it with my favorite apple the Crimson Crisp, as well as a Cripp's Pink and a Pink Lady (my go-to when Crimson Crisp is out of season).


I found the skin to be really tough, although a beautiful deep red.

I found it very crisp and juicy

I found the flavor itself lacking, sort of shallow, compared to the Crimson Crisp and definitely inferior to the Cripp's and the Pink Lady.

It was sweet, but in the manner of a Red Delicious. Not totally blah like a Red Delicious, but not deeply flavorful.

Crimson Crisp won.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

[Fresh_Start]

1. I'd add pacific rose, macintosh and jazz to your list

of favorites...love apples with a bit of tartness to them.

[Grasswire2]

6. I can't get Macintosh here at local grocery.

But I got a couple from my apple grower when farmers market was in season. I love to try many different apples, especially the heirlooms.

I like jazz fine.

Pacific Rose is described as a cross between Gala and Splendour. I have never seen a Splendour apple.

[yellowdogintexas]

19. JAZZhttps://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-08/claremont-nativit is my most favorite apple

although Pink Lady is pretty awesome too

I am fortunate enough to live near a Central Market (non Texans: if you visit friends in a city which has a Central Market, you will be taken there for entertainment)

Anyway, CM has a whole wall of apples. There are easily a dozen varieties at any time. They vary according to where they are grown and what is in season .

I love Jazz apples though

[LisaM]

2. I was at a cider mill in Michigan last year and they had a chart of all these different apples.

They concluded that the West coast apples looked better, but that the Michigan apples tasted better. That's my experience. I find the West coast ones a little mealy, and definitely lacking the tart flavor you'll get in, say, a McIntosh.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. there is a Michigan orchard, Tree Mendus, that grows hundreds

of old types. I sometimes order some...not inexpensive, but...wow!

[Grasswire2]

7. well a west coast apple might be mealy if it's shipped to Michigan.

And vice versa.

I don't think there's a common "West Coast" apple. There are Washington apples and then there are Hood River Oregon apples.

Honestly, I've never heard of a "Michigan" apple.

[LisaM]

16. Well, varieties that grow in the different states. I live in Washington now.

Last edited Tue Dec 10, 2019, 04:20 PM - Edit history (1)

I do not find that the apples here are as tasty as the ones in Michigan (where I'm from). I tend to eat Michigan-grown apples in Michigan, and Washington-grown apples in Washington, but I don't think the Washington ones are as tasty. The only tart apples you can get out here (or at least get at most stores, which is where I usually buy them) are Granny Smith apples. I do not like the Honeycrisp, which I don't find to be crisp, even though other people rave about them.

Anyway, the chart showed a bunch of different varieties (and it might have included a couple of other regions), and just reflected what I have found from my own experience. YMMV.

[Blue_true]

20. You've never read the legend of Johnny Appleseed?

I think that it's based upon Midwest apples.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. I love the old varieties that are really hard to find

Roxbury Russet, Golden Russet, Esopus Spitzenberg, Newtown Pippin, all from 1700s. A very few heirloom apple orchards grow them. Amazing experience biting into those old treasures

[Grasswire2]

8. I can get many of those at my farmers market in season.

I have some spitzenbergs in the fridge now, with other varieties. They hold well for most of the winter.

[Grasswire2]

13. Here is a link to my apple grower.

They come to my farmers market, but also sell nationally.

My former favorite apple grower, elderly owner of a 150 year old heirloom orchard, sold out to cannabis farmers a couple of years ago, which was a disaster for me. Wahhh!

[link:https://mthoodfruit.com/|

[Frustratedlady]

5. If you get a Red Delicious right after it is harvested and before it's been sitting around too long,

the flavor is wonderful. Juicy, flavorful and crisp. Once it has sat around for a few months, it does become flat.

Our apples around here, this year, are dry. I made an apple salad and it was about as flavorful as cardboard...nowhere near juicy. I don't know if we had too little rain or if we didn't have a good season overall. I hope it was a fluke and things return to normal next season.

[rurallib]

10. We used to have an RD tree in our backyard

OMG they were good.

Next best is a Braeburn.

[dhol82]

14. Yeah, I remember red delicious in my youth as being a wonderful, crisp, tasty apple.

What it became was pathetic.
Really like Jazz and Pink Lady these days.

[onetexan]

9. Whoa another apple fan -howdy

Glad you mentioned this new variety. I'll be sure not to get it. not a fan of apples with tough skin. I like them small, slightly tart, with a juicy but firm flesh and with a very thin skin where you can bite into it without getting a mouthful of tough chewy skin. Gala & honeycrisp are my favs. My yorkie likes them too.

[intrepidity]

11. My fave is Honey Crisp

How do yours compare, if you know?

[nolabear]

18. I love those too. This is bigger, more dense and I think a bit more sour.

The skin is tough, as people have said. It’s supposed to protect the fruit better. I’m in WA so we got some of the first out. I liked it overall but it’s HUGE and I think I like Honeycrisp (one of its progenitors) better. I’m curious as to how it cooks.

[Blue_true]

21. Yes, the Cosmic Crisp is big. Takes a lot of bites to finish one.

The skin really didn't bother me because I was more focused on how the flavor transitioned from sweet to tart as I chewed the bite.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Try First Kiss/Rave apples.

Same apple under different licensing names. Rave is grown in Washington and First Kiss in Minnesota. This is one of the best apples I've ever tasted, it's a descendant of the Honeycrisp.
https://mnhardy.umn.edu/varieties/fruit/apples/ravefirst-kiss

[Cracklin Charlie]

15. I love the Sugar Bee apple!

Just coming to my store now. It is crispy, juicy, with a small core and large flesh.

Yummy!

[HeiressofBickworth]

17. My favs

Fuji and Honey crisp. At my last house I planted Melrose and Spartan. One for cooking and one for eating. They were the two which would cross-pollinate and grow here in the PNW. I had a small crop of each before I sold and moved out. I was pretty pleased with both. I should plant the same at this house. Another addition to the To-Do list.