'It's out there, finally': After 20 years, WSU-developed apple makes debut

[TexasTowelie]

After more than 20 years of research and development, the shiny, orange-red Cosmic Crisp apple debuted this week in grocery stores, including at all of the Rosauers, Safeway and Albertsons locations in Spokane.

Kate Evans, a lead scientist at Washington State University’s Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center in Wenatchee, said she hasn’t visited the apple in the store as of yet, though some of her colleagues have.

“It is a little surreal just to even think that it’s out there, finally,” Evans said.

The apple predates Evans.

The WSU Cosmic Crisp project, which Evans said aimed to “make a new, improved apple for the Washington industry that would be great eating experiences for consumers,” began in 1997 when – using cross-hybridization between Enterprise and Honeycrisp varieties – the original seed for the first Cosmic Crisp tree was made. Evans took over the project in 2008.

Read more: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/dec/03/its-out-there-finally-after-20-years-wsu-developed/


The Cosmic Crisp apple is officially in local grocery stores after decades of development. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)

[Ferryboat]

1. Played $3.49 lb

Producer at Safeway said stores in Puget sound region were allocated 20 cases each.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Cool story

But being in a state that grows apples commercially I'm not inclined to pay $2.99 a pound for them.

[TexasTowelie]

3. I agree that the price is too steep for me.

I love eating apples, but after I started wearing dentures I had to wean myself off of apples, corn on the cob, and nuts.

Hopefully the price will drop as more orchards are planted and the novelty of the new brand wears off, but in the meantime I understand that the growers are attempting to recoup the costs associated with the R&D.

[Tripper11]

4. I bought a few the other night

I figured worth a try at least after all the hype.
Good flavour, crisp crunch. But nothing to write home about.
Solid apple, but probably need to drop the price and just sell them like the rest.

[TexasTowelie]

5. Yes,

they might be worth 25 to 50 cents more than a Honeycrisp, but asking a $1 to $1.50 more per pound is too much.

[gopiscrap]

6. I live in Tacoma

and my daughter bought one, they are good also we went to WSU as students they a great creamery over there

[Generic Other]

7. I tried one and felt poisoned

It had a rubbery texture. Very tart which I thought I would have liked. My tongue tingled and I felt the slices churning, eating at my stomach lining for hours after consuming it.

The rest of the cut slices have been sitting without changing color on my counter since 12/8. It has not turned brown.

12-14 month shelf life according to the clerk at the grocery store. I pass trying to digest something like that.