Honeycrisp Apples

Honeycrisp apples were developed by University of Minnesota researchers in 1960 by crossing the Macoun apple with the Honeygold apple. The variety is known for three things: its incredibly long shelf life (apparently up to seven months in the refrigerator), extreme juiciness, and a very nice balance of tart and sweet. They have been grown all over the world, but some of the prime examples still come from Minnesota. Including the ones that I bought this week from Central Market, which came from Pepin Heights orchard. They're the most expensive apples in the store, and the bastards had the unmitigated gall to put a container of samples right near the door, and I was of course, forced to have some. That's right: some. You can't have just one of those little apple pieces when the apple is as good as these are. So I bought four. They are excellent. I don't believe that I have ever had a better apple. They're crisp, flavorful, sweet, with just enough acid to balance it. And they're big, too. They're expensive, but they're worth it.