Cosmic Crisp: A New Apple Variety

Three kinds of apples, Cosmic Crisp in front.
Emily Dickinson // The Watchdog

The new Cosmic Crisp variety of apples was released on Nov. 8, 2021. Originally created in 1997, the Cosmic Crisp took over 20 years to cultivate. Horticulturist Bruce Barritt was able to create a new type of apple by crossbreeding the Honeycrisp apple with common enterprise apples. He was able to form the long-awaited firm and juicy apple alongside Washington State University researchers in their tree fruit breeding program. Along with the benefits of taste, the apple variety supposedly has a very long shelf life, is less likely to bruise, and has a beautiful coloration.

Compared to the Honeycrisp apple, a Cosmic Crisp is more flavorful with a hint of a different variation of sweetness. The apple is also hydrating in a juicy, mouthwatering fashion with a crisp finality.

The Cosmic Crisp was named for the stunning lenticels on the apple’s surface, which reminded those who named it of the cosmos in outer space. The “Crisp” part comes from the second part of Honeycrisp to give credit to its parent apple.

The Cosmic Crisp is available at most grocery stores in Washington state.