The History of the Honeycrisp Apple

For the past few decades, I usually try and grab a bag of Honeycrisp apples. It is not only delicious, but it seems to have more juice on each crisp bite! The Honeycrisp is by far my favorite kind of apple. Where did come from? Who developed it?

The Honeycrisp apple variety (known in Europe as the 'Honeycrunch' Apple) has slowly been making its way up into the TOP 5 most produced apple varieties in America. Seven seasons ago, the Honeycrisp variety made up 6.3% of the United States harvest of apples. Last season in 2021-22, it doubled that figure at 13.7%.

As of last year's apple harvest, the Honeycrisp is now the 4th most produced variety in the US.

Let's go back to the beginning. Who (or what company) created and cultivated the Honeycrisp apple?

I (wrongly) believed that the Honeycrisp variety was developed here in Washington, by West Matthison and his crew at Stemilt. I would have put money down and bet the mortgage on that!

Honeycrisp was developed at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) by the Minnesota Ag Experiment Station’s Horticultural Research Center. The year the variety was first given its test designation was in 1974. It was in these early stages, that this now-popular variety was almost disregarded and canceled.

First known to the world as "MN 1711", it was patented in 1988.

The first year Honeycrisp finally made it to the consumers was in the fall of 1997.  Its very name, Honeycrisp was trademarked by the University of Minnesota and the variety is Minnesota’s official state fruit.

'The apple wasn’t bred to grow, store, or ship well. It was bred for taste: Crisp with balanced sweetness and acidity' - Bloomberg “The Curse of the Honeycrisp Apple” (November 2018)

Early reports claim that the Honeycrisp variety was bred from a hybrid of the Macoun and the Honeygold. Extensive testing and computer analysis have since gone against this origin story. 

New conclusive evidence shows that the Honeycrisp comes from a hybrid of the KEEPSAKE (itself a hybrid of the FROSTBITE and NORTHERN SPY) and an unreleased University of Minnesota variety. This "unnamed variety" was a hybrid of THE DUCHESS OF OLDENBERG and the GOLDEN DELICIOUS.

Think of the Honeycrisp with its grandparents: The Frostbite, Northern Spy, Duchess of Oldenburg, and the Golden Delicious. 

The US patent for the Honeycrisp paid the University of Minnesota over $10 million dollars.

With this money, the university and its researchers have created even more delicious varieties including the SweeTango. The Minneiska, or its commerical name: SweeTango,  is a hybrid of the Zestar apple variety and the Honeycrisp.

Another variety born from the Honeycrisp lineage is the SugarBee, which is a cross between the Honeycrisp and an “unknown variety.”

Recent two years of US Apple Production. (SOURCE: Northwest Horticultural Council)

2021-2022

1 - Gala (19.5% trending DOWN almost 4%)

2 - Red Delicious (15.09% trending DOWN almost 3%)

3 - Granny Smith  (14.0% trending UP nearly 3%)

4 - Honeycrisp (13.7% trending UP 3 ½ %)

5 - Fuji (12.5% remains FLAT…slightly down)

2020-2021

1 - Gala (23.3% remains FLAT…slightly down)

2 - Red Delicious (18.6% trending DOWN almost 1 ½ %)

3 - Fuji (13.2% remain FLAT…slightly up)

4 - Honeycrisp (12.2%...UP almost 1%) What are the characteristics of the Honeycrisp apple that make it so popular?

5 - Granny Smith (11.8%...DOWN almost 1%)

SOURCES: Bloomberg Media, Northwest Horticultural Council