We all know how famous the Honey Crisp apple is in Minnesota and beyond. Now it's given birth, kind of, to the University of Minnesota's newest apple creation.
With tropical overtones, the University has unveiled the new "Kudos" apple, a cross between a Honey Crisp and a Zestar.
Senior research fellow at the College of Food David Bedford says one of the reasons he and his the team at the school got into the business of breeding new apple flavors was to help people make healthy choices.
"When you have an apple like honey crisp or kudos and your choice is that or maybe a candy bar? Well, I don't know that we'll win every time, but I think when we put some exciting choices in front of people, we're much more likely to have a following of people that would make the healthy choice," explains Bedford.
However, Bedford says Minnesotans will have to wait to wait to try it. Kudos apples aren't expected to hit local orchards until 2026.
"Orchards have just begun to purchase and plant Kudos trees, so it will take a few years for those trees to mature and bear fruit," Bedford says. "When we release an apple, it has already gone through roughly 20 years of evaluation to make sure it will perform well for growers and also be a pleasing eating experience for consumers. Since we’ve officially released it now, apple orchards can purchase Kudos trees with confidence that it will be able to provide their customers with great tasting apples in 2-4 years."
If you're wondering why the University of Minnesota has been so involved in new apple varieties, it is a simple answer: climate.
Many apples that you see at the grocery store, like Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith, won’t grow In Minnesota's cold weather. In fact, most of the apples grown worldwide won’t grow in Minnesota because they can't thrive in the harsh conditions of our extreme winters.
That’s why in the early 1900s, University of Minnesota researchers began developing cold hardy, great tasting apples in order to enjoy homegrown apples and bring a sustainable commercial apple industry to the state.