Home › The Produce Moms® Blog › Episode 78: The Cosmic Crisp® Apple: Out-of-This-World Taste, Crispiness, and Juiciness with Kate Evans

Episode 78: The Cosmic Crisp® Apple: Out-of-This-World Taste, Crispiness, and Juiciness with Kate Evans

By Lori Taylor

Dec 11, 2019

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The Produce Moms Podcast

Kate Evans, a professor at the Department of Horticulture at Washington State University, has been instrumental in leading the University’s apple breeding program within its Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.

The center is focused on researching tree fruits from the horticultural perspective as well as looking at aspects related to pathology and entomology. The results of their research are shared with the produce industry, and the center works to educate the next generation of researchers and industry members. 

The Birth of the Cosmic Crisp® Apple

The process of breeding a new apple is pretty straightforward. Researchers take two parents based on the qualities they’re looking to improve. They take the pollen from one variety and use it to pollenize the stigmas of the other variety to produce the seed resulting from that cross-breeding. 

The apples they produce must demonstrate a level of robustness that helps them survive the refrigeration, packing, and other processes required to bring fruits to market. 

The Cosmic Crisp® is the Best of Both Worlds

The Cosmic Crisp® apple was tested against the popular Gala and Honeycrisp apples, and researchers received positive results from consumers on the apple’s appearance, taste, and texture. 

The apple stands out for its high level of juiciness, and the flavor of the Cosmic Crisp® apple is a balance between tartness and sweetness, giving consumers the best of both worlds. 

The Cosmic Crisp® apple is a beautiful fruit. The fruit got its name from the deep red color of the apple combined with the white pores in the peel, giving consumers the impression of looking at the cosmos. 

“We have tart apples, we have super sweet apples, and then we have the Cosmic Crisp®, which is the best of both worlds.” – Lori Taylor (17:37-17:43)

The Cosmic Crisp® apple bakes well, but you can enjoy it raw or by adding slices to a charcuterie board to pair with your favorite cheeses. Another important characteristic of this apple is that it’s slow to oxidize, which means it won’t brown quickly. 

The introduction of the Cosmic Crisp® apple is another example of the delicious new varieties of fruits making their way to local grocery stores. 

As more consumers taste different varieties of apples and other fruits, they can expand their palates when it comes to choosing healthy fruits and vegetables. To learn more about the Cosmic Crisp® apple, visit www.cosmiccrisp.com to see what’s in store.

How To Get Involved

• Learn more about Cosmic Crisp® by visiting www.cosmiccrisp.com today.
• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! 

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we’d love for you to help us spread the word!

Other Episodes You May Like

• Episode 77: Looking Back on 2019 and What the Future Has in Store for the Fresh Produce Industry
• Episode 76: Pure Michigan Apples From Family Farms to Your Kitchen with Nick Mascari of Applewood Fresh
• Episode 75: Feeding Families and Creating Healthy Communities with Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman 
• Episode 74: Becoming a Leader in the Produce Industry with Coastal Sunbelt’s Stacy Ward
• Episode 73: Solving the Biggest Problems Facing Agriculture Using Aquaponics with Kurt Wagaman of Superior Fresh