Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Move over Honeycrisp, SweeTango is in town (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Foosball God
- Start date
El Floppo
Footballguy
Last edited by a moderator:
SwampDawg
Footballguy
I have not but just looked it up after you mentioned it, will have to be on the look out.
![[scooter]](/data/avatars/m/22/22287.jpg?1659477690){kind=avatar}
[scooter]
Footballguy
I've tried Cosmic Crisp. It's good but not better than Honey Crisp, IMO. The industry is pushing Cosmic Crisp because it has a longer shelf life. I doubt it'll replace Honey Crisp as the top dog but it'll be an acceptable substitute when HC is out of season.
mr. furley
Footballguy
https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Move-over-Honeycrisp-New-apple-to-debut-at-grocery-stores-563466921.html
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — They call it the Cosmic Crisp. It's not a video game, a superhero or the title of a Grateful Dead song.
It's a new variety of apple, coming to a grocery store near you Dec. 1
Cosmic Crisp is the first apple ever bred in Washington state, which grows the majority of the United States' apples. It's expected to be a game changer.
Already, growers have planted 12 million Cosmic Crisp apple trees, a sign of confidence in the new variety. While only 450,000 40-pound (18-kilogram) boxes will be available for sale this year, that will jump to more than 2 million boxes in 2020 and more than 21 million by 2026.
The apple variety was developed by Washington State University. Washington growers, who paid for the research, will have the exclusive right to sell it for the first 10 years.
The apple is called Cosmic Crisp because of the bright yellowish dots on its skin, which look like distant stars.
"I've never seen an apple prettier in the orchard than these things are," said Aaron Clark of Yakima, whose family owns several orchards in central Washington and has planted 80 acres of Cosmic Crisps.
The new variety keeps for a long time in storage and in the refrigerator, said Kate Evans, who runs the breeding program at Washington State University.
And it's an exceptionally good "eating apple," she said. "It's ultra-crisp, very juicy and has a good balance of sweetness and tartness."
Cosmic Crisps are a cross between the disease-resistant Enterprise and the popular, crunchy Honeycrisp varieties. The Honeycrisp, nicknamed "Moneycrisp" by some growers, was the latest apple to spark a big buzz in the United States when it was introduced a couple of decades ago. It was developed by the University of Minnesota.
"This apple (Cosmic Crisp) has a good opportunity to be a hit with a lot of people," said Clark, a vice president of Price Cold Storage, a company with orchards and fruit warehouses throughout central Washington. "It better be, because we are going to have a lot of them."
Apples are a $2.5 billion a year business in Washington, which grows about 60% of the nation's supply, or nearly 140 million boxes. The top varieties are Gala (23, Red Delicious (20%) and Fuji (13%).
Apples are grown in the arid valleys and brown hillsides of central Washington, a few hours east of Seattle, and watered by irrigation projects.
The state has around 1,500 apple growers and 175,000 acres of orchards. About 50,000 people pick some 12 billion apples by hand each fall. The fruit is exported to 60 countries.
With so much success, why was a new apple variety needed?
"A new apple brings excitement," said Toni Lynn Adams, spokeswoman for the Washington Apple Commission, which markets apples internationally. "A new variety can reinvigorate a market and industry."
Washington growers, who had watched the market share for sometimes mushy Red Delicious apples plummet over time, were looking to replicate the success of the Honeycrisp, Adams said.
"It's going to shake things up in a great way," Adams said. "We're expecting it to increase in volume rapidly."
Adams could not speculate on how much Cosmic Crisp apples will cost per pound.
"Better quality makes for better returns," said Clark, the grower. "This is a for-profit deal, man. We're trying to make some money with it."
Remarkably, this is the first apple variety developed in Washington state, which has been known for apples for more than a century.
Scientists at WSU's Tree Fruit Research Center in Wenatchee spent 20 years breeding the desired apple tree seeds. In addition to helping pay for that research, apple growers need a license to buy the trees and pay a royalty on sales of the fruit.
The trees take three years to produce a crop, said Kathryn Grandy, a member of the team marketing the apple.
"This will be the largest launch of a single variety ever, globally," she said, and it's backed by a $10.5 million marketing budget.
Consumers will not have trouble finding the variety, said Grandy, who works for a company called Proprietary Variety Management and is based in the town of Chelan, in the heart of apple country.
Work on developing the variety began in 1997, said Evans, of Washington State University. The process of cross-hybridization has been used to breed plants for hundreds of years, Evans said, and is quite different from the more controversial genetic modification methods.
"The goal, in my opinion, is to get more consumers eating apples," she said. "Ultimately that is the goal of any plant breeder."
Nathan R. Jessep
Footballguy
Yeah, I don't like the big ones either. For one, they're like $7 each. For two, they're about 3 apples worth of apple. I like the small bags of organic ones when I can find those. They're about 7-8 bites and are always perfect.
Senor Schmutzig
Footballguy
I was a little disappointed to see that Honeycrisps here in Seattle were over $5/pound. I figured they would be cheaper closer to the source.
Granted this was a Pikes Place Market so I'm sure they are marked at a premium. Wonder if a local market will have them for less.
Granted this was a Pikes Place Market so I'm sure they are marked at a premium. Wonder if a local market will have them for less.
Vanilla Guerrilla
Footballguy
The honeycrisps around here seemed to be coming down in price a bit. I only buy the big ones when they are on sale. If the other apples in stock are bad, I'll buy a bag of the small ones at Trader Joes.
I'll buy
Pazazz apples (related to honeycrisp)
I had an Envy apple today. Not crazy sweet or tart, but the texture and flavor was great.
Rave apples I've also liked (related to honeycrisp)
Fujis taste great but they aren't as crisp.
I'll buy
Pazazz apples (related to honeycrisp)
I had an Envy apple today. Not crazy sweet or tart, but the texture and flavor was great.
Rave apples I've also liked (related to honeycrisp)
Fujis taste great but they aren't as crisp.
dickey moe
Fingerpicker
Craft fruit.
Insein
Footballguy
Primos sucks. I have a corropolese 5 minutes from my house and they are a step above Wawa. The only thing they have going for them is the bread. Primos bread is hard as a brick and that's their gimmick. Not sure why people like breaking their jaw just to get to some sub par deli meat.
Last edited by a moderator:
SwampDawg
Footballguy
This explains your love of the soft Pink Lady. What's your thought's on BlackJax's over there in Douglasville ?
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Insein
Footballguy
It's ok. I don't go often but it's a decent bar/restaurant compared to what's around.
Andrew74
Footballguy
I love Envy apples. Had my first probably 6-7 years ago at Costco. Since then I have a hard time finding them anywhere in the spring (the ones I always had were from NZ). Local Kroger had some last week but they were off; I was excited to find them and didn’t look where they were from.Vanilla Guerrilla said:
ETA: checked are the store and they were from NZ, so they are old.
Last edited by a moderator:
That one guy
Footballguy
dickey moe
Fingerpicker
Artisan pomes.
ProstheticRGK
Footballguy
In honor of this thread, i just did a tasting: Envy vs Sweet Tango. Sweet Tango, hands down, the winner.
Appearance- Envy looked gorgeous, deep red and yellow/green stipling, almost a brindle pattern like dog fur. Could have been on the cover of Marrha Stewart Living. Sweet Tango was cherry red, looked good, had cool yellow starbursts.
Winner: Envy
Texture- Good crunch to both, on first bite. Envy was a little bit grainy/mealy while chewing. ST was crispy throughout.
Winner: Sweet Tango
Taste- Envy was one note- sweet. Good flavor, but just ok. ST was well-balanced, sweet and sour enough to make it interesting, so my mouth didn't get bored.
Winner: landslide, Sweet Tango
Appearance- Envy looked gorgeous, deep red and yellow/green stipling, almost a brindle pattern like dog fur. Could have been on the cover of Marrha Stewart Living. Sweet Tango was cherry red, looked good, had cool yellow starbursts.
Winner: Envy
Texture- Good crunch to both, on first bite. Envy was a little bit grainy/mealy while chewing. ST was crispy throughout.
Winner: Sweet Tango
Taste- Envy was one note- sweet. Good flavor, but just ok. ST was well-balanced, sweet and sour enough to make it interesting, so my mouth didn't get bored.
Winner: landslide, Sweet Tango
Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
Andrew74
Footballguy
You do need to make sure the Envy is fresh. If it’s from NZ, it was picked in the spring. I recently had one that was a little mushy, too. I was surprised since Envy’s I had eaten in the past were very crisp. Ended up a NZ Apple, so it’s 6 months old at this point.
Envy’s are all sweetness, that’s for sure.
dickey moe
Fingerpicker
...or how nasty the "Red Delicious" apples are? Thick ### skin and often mushy flesh. Garbage fruit.
Last edited by a moderator:
El Floppo
Footballguy
The conversation is about "best" apples not "perfectly acceptable pedestrian" apples. McIntosh would be a1 for that discussion.
TakiToki
Footballguy
I've been trying a bunch of these fancy apples lately, and I am really liking the Autumn Glory. It's actually not a descendant of Honeycrisp unlike most of these discussed ITT, and is a hybrid of Fuji and Golden Delicious. I have a difficult time articulating flavors, but in the Wikipedia entry, it is described as having "hints of cinnamon and subtle notes of caramel" and "tasting like apple sauce".
East Coast Bias
Footballguy
I’m going in search of a cosmic crisp today.
5-ish Finkle
Footballguy
McIntosh apples are great....if you like eating an old sponge filled with sand. If it weren't for the Red Delicious (talk about false advertising there. Indeed, a garbage fruit) it'd be the most disgusting apple by a long, long way.
Honeycrisps have been slipping. They still taste great, but their quality is lagging. The last month or two at Ralph's the honeycrisps have all looked like the star of "Apple Kick: The Movie." The fact you can't seem to find one that doesn't weigh 3 and half pounds, ergo it costs, like, $12,000, is also sort of stupid.
Sweet Tangos are basically just as tasty as a HC, and up until recently have been considerably cheaper in these parts....but apparently the folks over at Sweet Tango, LLC have been paying attention to how bad the HC's have looked this season. Two weeks ago their price jumped to match the honeycrisps, per pound, and have held steady. Stiill a better deal, since they're the size of a normal piece of fruit and not of a small moon, but it is what it is. They're gouging, IMO.
I've been shifting over to the Ambrosias of late. Buddy of mine is a produce buyer and recommended them, flavor-wise, as a replacement to the HC. They really aren't, but they're good in their own way. The biggest difference is the texture. After washing, the skin has a bit too much of a "rubbery/tacky" feel in your hand, but the texture of the flesh itself when eating is fine.
Same buddy has praised the Cosmics, but I haven't been able to track them down locally yet.
Honeycrisps have been slipping. They still taste great, but their quality is lagging. The last month or two at Ralph's the honeycrisps have all looked like the star of "Apple Kick: The Movie." The fact you can't seem to find one that doesn't weigh 3 and half pounds, ergo it costs, like, $12,000, is also sort of stupid.
Sweet Tangos are basically just as tasty as a HC, and up until recently have been considerably cheaper in these parts....but apparently the folks over at Sweet Tango, LLC have been paying attention to how bad the HC's have looked this season. Two weeks ago their price jumped to match the honeycrisps, per pound, and have held steady. Stiill a better deal, since they're the size of a normal piece of fruit and not of a small moon, but it is what it is. They're gouging, IMO.
I've been shifting over to the Ambrosias of late. Buddy of mine is a produce buyer and recommended them, flavor-wise, as a replacement to the HC. They really aren't, but they're good in their own way. The biggest difference is the texture. After washing, the skin has a bit too much of a "rubbery/tacky" feel in your hand, but the texture of the flesh itself when eating is fine.
Same buddy has praised the Cosmics, but I haven't been able to track them down locally yet.
Last edited by a moderator:
dickey moe
Fingerpicker
The boutique names are getting out of hand. My wife bought a bag marketed as "Cinnamon Carmel" last week.
Foosball God
Foos
Anyone try and Autumn Glory yet?
Nathan R. Jessep
Footballguy
This time of year, I think it's that some of what they have in stores are the end of last harvest's stock. I got a bag a couple weeks ago and I noticed that they were a little browner in color than usual, but were still better looking than the other selections so I went with it. They weren't quite as good as normal, though still a decent taste and good crunch and juiciness. This past week, picked up some more and they were perfection, so I assume maybe there were the new crop. I have no proof of that theory, just my observations.
El Floppo
Footballguy
At least for us in nyc, they're seasonal. And I think here the season has long passed. But they're in season somewhere, I'm sure.
beer 30
Footballguy
I'm a big apple fan but it has to be a sweet apple, can't take any kind of tart. Regardless, not why I came here.
I always find it curious the history of the apple so enjoy https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/the_apple_in_north_america
I always find it curious the history of the apple so enjoy https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/the_apple_in_north_america
-fish-
Footballguy
East Coast Bias
Footballguy
I failed in my attempt to find one. Only went to Safeway though. Where did you find them?
Galileo
Footballguy
Here is the list on the Cosmic Crisp website...
Costco – West Coast
Fred Meyer
Haggen – Washington
Hy-Vee – MidWest
Jewel – Chicago
Kroger – Nationwide
QFC
Rosauers – Spokane
Safeway – West Coast
Whole Foods – West Coast
Yoke’s Fresh Market – Spokane
It does have a disclaimer that not all guaranteed in each retail location. My local grocery store, Heinen's, told me they expect to get some in, but I haven't seen them yet.
-fish-
Footballguy
East Coast Bias
Footballguy
-fish-
Footballguy
Yeah they're in a big display directly inside the front door, so I assume they got a ton.
krista4
Footballguy
I get the Honeycrisp and Envy at my local farmers market (west of Seattle) at $2.50/pound. Envy were $2/pound until he started running low. I love Ambrosia ($2/pound), but Mr. krista doesn't seem to dig those as much. No Cosmic Crisps from him yet, so I'll have to go to Safeway.
Last edited by a moderator:
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Damn all you left coasters are getting to try the Cosmic first. Checked three stores here in PA yesterday including the one that tends to have the less common apples like the Juici and no luck. I did find a Kora (Fuji and Braeburn cross), going to be trying that this afternoon.
Foosball God
Foos
Couldn't find a Cosmic Crisp, but am currently eating an Autumn Glory. Lots of caramel and applesaucy flavor, honestly it seems like too much. It is nice and crisp, which I like but it is almost cloying instead of refreshing. It's no SweeTango.
TheFanatic
Footballguy
So I saw Honey crisps on sale for $1.99 and bought a bunch. They were beyond mediocre. I remember them being great. Then I thought maybe the grocer got a bad batch in, or at least sub par and marked them down. So I polished those off and decided to give it another go with them at regular price. I grabbed a sack, paid over $10 for them and had a couple yesterday and today for breakfast. All 4 were also meh. They are not the same and I won't be buying them again. Ambrosia and Fuji's for me. Oh and Pixie whatever those are, at the end of the summer.
mr. furley
Footballguy
apple season was early this year. they were picking here in September. it's early December. those are old apples. not shocking that they've lost their fastball.
Last edited by a moderator:
krista4
Footballguy
My opinion as an amateur apple-ist is that these might be the best freaking apples ever. Very crispy. Smooth at the beginning and then have a burst of flavor that's both tart and sweet, in what to me are the perfect proportions. That sweetness (not something I'd usually seek) lingers to the point of smooth, refreshing flavor again. And so ####### juicy without being "spill on your hands" juicy. Damn. That's a fine apple.
Mr. krista's updated analysis: "Yeahhhhh, these apples are pretty good."
ETA: He thinks he might still like Envy better. I actually think these taste more like Envy than any others I've had. Will set up a taste test.
Mr. krista's updated analysis: "Yeahhhhh, these apples are pretty good."
ETA: He thinks he might still like Envy better. I actually think these taste more like Envy than any others I've had. Will set up a taste test.
Last edited by a moderator:
