Crimson Crisp *

True to its name, this medium-to-medium-large apple has a lovely pure red blush.

The color, a shade less orange than in my photo, can be deep and even dark on the sunward side but unlike some well-colored varieties is not purple.

Tan lenticels, though numerous, are so small as to be hard to see, making for a very red apple.

The fruit is classically shaped with some ribbing.

Also true to its name, this apple has wonderfully breaking crisp flesh, light yellow, which is firm and dense, even hard, and more fine-grained than coarse. It holds a lot of juice and has a very good sweet-tart balance.

Crimson Crisp's flavors are simple and refreshing: cane sugar and distant hints of melon, orange, and spice.

What makes this apple fun to eat is its texture: breaking chunks of crunchy, juicy fruit. Grab some if you can, they are very satisfying.

This apple was developed cooperatively by several university fruit and horticulture departments, as detailed in this two-page article in Horticultural Science 41(2) Apr 2006 465–6.

The genealogy of this variety, diagrammed on the second page, is interesting in that you have to go back several generations before finding Crimson Crisp ancestors that would be generally recognized.

This variety is said to have a good shelf life. I'll bet it would do well in controlled storage.

Note to apple industry: Could we get some of these in supermarkets in winter and spring? Just something to break the monotonous sweet of so many modern varieties.

A niche, sure, but I'll bet they would sell like hotcakes.