From the land of its birth

I've reviewed Sunrise Magic, but want to share a second tasting of some that I found for sale at a fruit stand in Seattle. (And not just because they are worth choosing.) ¶ 

Most of the nation's Sunrise Magic crop grows in Washington, where it was bred by Washington State University. (WSU also created Cosmic Crisp.) ¶ 

It's always worth trying food grown in its native turf.

My Seattle samples are large with a curious blush that is a saturated warm red over about a quarter of the apple, otherwise a weak translucent orange over yellow.

There can be quite a bit of ribbing, and these are slightly conical.

There are tan lenticels in the darker blush, filled gray otherwise.

Ready to eat?

Sunrise Magic starts with a great breaking-crisp bite. Flavors are floral, banana, and hint of pineapple.

These tastes are lively with a good sweet-tart balance, yet not concentrated. Even delicate. The light-yellow flesh is juicy and medium-coarse.

This all tracks closely what I found when I had this apple before, with perhaps more distinct flavors.

That made these the best Sunrise Magic I've ever had. I am keeping my earlier review active, however. Those samples were nearly as good.

There you will find more information about this apple, and some interesting comments.

But I will make a few notes here.

Sunrise Muddle

There is a long story about Sunrise Magic, sometimes branded as Crimson Delight, recapped in my review post. Let's just say this is the apple that Washington State University should have promoted when it chose Cosmic Crisp.

(Better yet, why push only one apple? The more the merrier!)

Sunrise Magic

Of course people shorten this ungainly hybrid name.

My Seattle fruit stand sold these to me as "Sunrise" unadorned by magic. So did the New Hampshire farm where I first sampled these back in 2022.

That's confusing, as there is already a Sunrise apple (it ripens earlier), but also shows what lack of imagination will get you.

What, the good names were all taken?

If you are curious about this apple, its economic and genomic history and so forth, I can offer you

• the full Sunrise Magic review, but also
• my first taste of this apple, written under the impression I had a well-preserved Sunrise.