The First of the Season: Honeycrisp Apples

The first apples of the season are on the way at Eckert's! We will be celebrating Honeycrisp Weekend August 27th - 29th. Honeycrisp apples are the first to arrive and is one of my favorite varieties, but unfortunately never lasts long enough! They will be available for Pick-Your-Own at the Belleville, Millstadt and Grafton farms, and will also be available for purchase in the Country Store.

Honeycrisp apples were introduced by the apple experts at Minnesota University and are a cross between a 1960 Macoun apple and a Honeygold apple (a Honeygold itself is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Haralson). Honeycrisps are famous for their crisp sweet-tart bite and are said to "explosively crisp." While these apples are perfect for eating raw they are also excellent for baking, and can be a sweeter substitute for apples in any recipe.

Honeycrisp apples, despite being very firm, tend to be very sensitive. Its thin skin makes it an ideal fresh eating apple, but causes them to bruise easily and makes them susceptible to stem damage. Honeycrisp growers often refer to this variety as the "picky apple." When harvesting Honeycrisp, pickers must pay special attention to detail and be cautious with the fruit because of its sensitivity. The further south you grow Honeycrisp, the more difficult it is to care for them, as the variety was created to withstand cold temperatures. Our warm, southern temperatures can be hard on the fruit. At Eckert's we take special care of our Honeycrisps, packing them in peach peck boxes rather than standard apple bags to help minimize bruising.

Our Honeycrisp crop is limited at the Belleville and Grafton farm, so hurry out, as these delicious and newly popular apples won't last long! Please visit our Harvest Hotline for the most current crop information.

Here's an "Awesome Apple" recipe my kids and I make with fresh-picked apples. It serves as a delicious (and secretly healthy) addition to their lunchboxes!

Awesome Applesauce

Ingredients
2 small red apples (or Honeycrisp Apples!)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 pinches of cinnamon

Utensils
Knife (get help from your adult assistant)
Blender or food processor
Measuring spoons
Serving bowls

Directions

1. Peel the apples and cut them into small pieces or use apple corer slicer. Throw out the core.
2. Put the apple pieces and lemon juice into the blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is very smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into two small bowls and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
4. Enjoy your awesome applesauce!

Sources:

www.honeycrisp.org

www.web.extension.illinois.edu

www.fruitgrowersnews.com