When you hear the name “Cosmic Crisp,” what is the first thing that pops into your head? If you are like me, you probably thought about some sugary cereal, space-themed of course, with marshmallow stars and planets. Maybe this would be something eaten on an episode of “Rick and Morty” or “Futurama,” or some other sci-fi TV show. It turns out that the Cosmic Crisp is, surprisingly, something that you eat, but it is not a sugary, outer space cereal: It’s an apple. And it should be arriving at a grocery store near you around Dec. 1.
Is the Cosmic Crisp apple why Elon Musk started Space X? To search for a space apple? What planet are space apples grown on? Could this apple be what is locked behind the gates of Area 51? Okay, so Elon had nothing to do with this apple, and it’s not from space, plus, it’s not what is hiding behind the gates of Area 51 — at least I don’t think so.
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Let’s dive in deeper to learn more about this new apple and how it got its space-themed name.
The Story Of The Cosmic Crisp
With a name like Cosmic Crisp, this apple sounds like it should be found growing on some space farm in the Andromeda Galaxy, but instead, this new apple was bred in Washington state at Washington State University (WSU). Notably, the state of Washington happens to be the location for a significant number of apples produced for the United States; growers are so confident in this new apple, that they already planted over 12 million apple trees that will provide this cosmic fruit.
Since this is a brand-new apple, the Cosmic Crisp will be in somewhat of a limited supply in 2019. They will have around 450,000 boxes, 40 pounds each, shipped out around the country. However, by the end of 2020, WSU is expecting approximately 2 million boxes; the figure is predicted to continue growing as the years go by. By the year 2026, the world should be able to indulge in eating around 21 million boxes of Cosmic Crisps. How do you like them apples?
But, Why The Name ‘Cosmic Crisp’?
As I’ve established, the Cosmic Crisp apple is unlike any other apple before it. The fruit gets its unique name from the bright yellow dots that cover its skin and resemble a constellation of stars; this is why the inventors of the apple decided to go with the name Cosmic Crisp. Considering the physical appearance of the apple, I’d agree that the name fits the product perfectly.
Kate Evans, who runs the breeding program located at Washington State, says that this new apple retains its freshness for a longer time, especially when the Cosmic Crisps is compared to the shelf-life of rival apples. Whether the fruit sits tucked away in storage or safely sits in a refrigerator at home, consumers will definitely notice that Cosmic Crisps will stay fresh. Now that I think about it, maybe these apples are from another planet.
How They Created The Cosmic Crisp
Now for the question of the century: How was the Cosmic Crisp created?
This new apple was created by crossing the very popular Honeycrisp with the Enterprise. And just like that, a star was born. At least the growers hope a star was born, because they planted a whole lot of Cosmic Crisp trees. Let’s breakdown this hybrid a little bit more.
The Honeycrisp
The Honeycrisp apple was created at the University of Minnesota in 1974, patented in 1988 and released to the public in 1991. This apple quickly became a favorite for Americans due to its trademark sweetness and juiciness.
Nevertheless, the Honeycrisp wasn’t bred to grow, store or ship. This apple was bred for taste. If you’ve never had a Honeycrisp apple, let’s just say that they taste delicious. Because of this apple’s super sweet flavor, tartness and firmness, it quickly became one of the best-selling apples on the market.
The Enterprise
The Enterprise apple was created by the PRI disease resistant apple breeding program; the initials stand for Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois, the three universities that worked on the project. The goal of this program was to create an apple that stood up against apple scab, a common disease of apple and crabapple trees.
Famously, this disease-resistant apple was created by combining the DNA of many different apples, which included the McIntosh apple, Golden Delicious, Starking Delicious and the Rome Beauty. The first Enterprise apple seed was planted in 1982 and was released to the public in 1993.
With crossbreeding the Honeycrisp with the Enterprise, WSU managed to create the Cosmic Crisp, a disease-proofed apple with the delicately supple taste of the favored Honeycrisp mixed with the density of the Enterprise.
Will The Cosmic Crisp Be Available For You?
After all of this, only one question remains: Will this new apple make its way to you?
Luckily for your fruit fiends, the answer is yes. Similar to what was previously stated, this new apple is in limited supply for its debut year. Nonetheless, taking into account the quantity of the first shipment, they should easily make their way to everyone in the United States. Furthermore, there is no word yet on how much the Cosmic Crisp will cost per pound, but if I have to take a guess, the apple should not be too pricy.
Make sure that you keep an eye out for the Cosmic Crisp apple in the first week of December. If the fruit is as good as the creators say, this apple will taste otherworldly for sure. I, for one, love apples, and I am beyond excited to check out this new fantastic addition to the apple family tree.
