EverCrisp-Fuji Smackdown

Who's your daddy? EverCrisp's pollen parent is Fuji.

Today we are tasting two related varieties harvested last fall and purchased this month in supermarkets.

They are not at peak, but both are sturdy, crunchy varieties bred to survive long-term storage and handling.

Camera angle aside, the wider, ribbed EverCrisp (left) is smaller than tall, conical Fuji, which has a characteristically milky red blush a little less vivid than EverCrisp's.

Both bear large tan lenticel dots, EverCrisp's lighter and spaced more widely.
After sleeping all winter, Fuji is pleasant and crisp, with light, sweet floral flavors and plenty of juice. There is a faint metallic note in the mix that may be an artifact of age.

EverCrisp is sweeter and its flavors similar but more generic with floral notes that are more subdued. I have previously noted minor deterioration in taste and texture for this apple as a result of aging in storage.

It is also crisper. So, these two varieties eat very similar, and probably a little more so after half a year in storage.

Both have light yellow, coarse-grained flesh. It is easy to see a family resemblance.

EverCrisp is making a play for the Honeycrisp space and I have long recommended Fuji as an alternative to the Honeycrisp-besotted.