Minneapolis – Bite into a Honeycrisp, and the first sensation is a juicy crackle as your mouth fills with the sweet, tart flavor that has made it the reigning celebrity of the apple world.
The trademark explosive crunch of the official state apple comes from cells that are twice as big as those of other apples and a micro-thin, delicate skin that pops with every bite.
Developed at the University of Minnesota Excelsior breeding station in 1961, Honeycrisp was bred for Minnesota’s, ahem, hardy climate.
It likes cool weather, short summers and the early fall sun that brings out a bright red tinge with a bit of yellow-green around the stem. The trees easily withstand Minnesota’s roller-coaster temps.
But that doesn’t mean the apple itself is hardy. Orchard growers have learned the fruit needs cosseting and must be picked and packed carefully.
“It takes about the same impact to bruise a Honeycrisp as to break an egg,” said Dennis Courtier, owner of Pepin Heights, the state’s largest producer of Honey-crisps.
The 300 acres of prime bluff property has been home to apples since 1949, when his parents, Gil and Evelyn Courtier, persuaded Gil’s father to sell them the land and switch from sweet corn to apples.
When Courtier took over, Haralson was the premier Minnesota apple.
Then came Honeycrisp, which hit the market in 1991. Courtier has been ripping out Haralson trees and replacing them with Honeycrisp ever since.
“It’s just a really great apple,” Courtier said. “The perfect apple has the right balance of acid and sugar. Honeycrisp has that plus a great juicy crispness.”
Now is the peak season for Honeycrisp, and the apples are so popular they fly out the door of most orchards as soon as they’re picked. That’s partly taste and partly because savvy customers know Honeycrisp is an exceptional keeper that can be successfully stored for months, providing a burst of fall flavor even as winter settles in.
Not only is the Honeycrisp the official state apple, courtesy of a class of Woodbury fourth-graders who pushed through legislation in the last legislative session, but it has gained worldwide popularity.
Some Colorado orchards grow Honeycrisps, so look for them at farmers markets and grocery stroes under the Colorado Proud label. Sold in Europe as Honeycrunch, the apple has been in demand from Nova Scotia to South Africa, which are clamoring for seedlings.
Honeycrisp is a paradox, apple researcher David Bedford said. “It’s not a hard apple, but it’s crisp,” he said. And it keeps well – up to eight months with proper refrigeration.
Oh, by the way, that last part is important. As nice as a dish of apples might look on your table, he said, apples age five times as quickly at room temperature. That’s aging, not ripening. Not good. Put some pears in the dish and keep the apples in the fridge.
Cranberry Orange Dip
Adapted from a recipe in the Penzeys Spices catalog. Prepare an hour in advance to allow mixture to chill and for flavors to develop; use for dipping apple slices. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Ingredients
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1 (8-ounce) package Neufchatel (reduced-fat cream cheese)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Blend cranberries, Neufchatel, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar and pecans in food processor. Refrigerate. Mixture will appear very soft but firms up when chilled.
Apple Harvest Fruit Tart
Enriched with nuts and dried fruit, this tart makes the best of late-harvest apples. It’s very rich. Cut slices thin and serve with whipped cream. From “Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland,” by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson. Serves 12.
Ingredients
Crust:
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 egg yolks
6-7 tablespoons ice water
Tart:
1 cup chopped dried prunes
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup peeled, chopped apples
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup Grand Marnier, or orange juice
Directions
To prepare the crust: In a large bowl, mix together flour and sugar. Cut in the butter to make soft, small crumbs. Stir in the egg yolks and then add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make a soft dough. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
To prepare the tart: Roll out half of the tart-crust dough and line a 10-inch tart pan; refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the dried prunes, apricots and raisins in a medium-size saucepan and add just enough water to cover the fruit. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the fruit is very soft. Drain the fruit and cool slightly.
Add apples, sugar, walnuts, butter and Grand Marnier or orange juice and stir until the sugar is melted. Heap the filling into the tart pan. Roll out and cut the remaining dough into strips and make a lattice top, crimping the edges. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.
