This comes directly from the Wisconsin Apple Grower Association Cookbook.

Sometimes the name of an apple says it all. And that’s true of Honeycrisp, a honey sweet (with a touch of tart) yet amazingly crisp apple developed in Minnesota.

Honeycrisp was produced from a 1960 cross of Macoun and Honeygold, as part of the University of Minnesota apple breeding program to develop winter hardy cultivars with high fruit quality. The original seedling was planted in 1962 at the University of Minnesota Horticulture Research Center and since 1981, the variety has grown in popularity.

This cool climate-loving apple grows exceptionally well in the Midwest, developing large fruit with a mottled red color over a red background.

Its flesh is creamy to yellow colored and coarse with flavor ranging from mild and well balanced to strongly aromatic, depending on the degree of maturity. It has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples in the University of Minnesota sensory studies.

Honeycrisp fruit has shown excellent storage characteristics and is harvested in Wisconsin from late September until mid-October. The outstanding flavor and texture can be maintained for at least six months in refrigerated storage without atmosphere modifications.