Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/603228
28 DECEMBER 2015 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com Crispness has also become a hot-ticket characteristic, especially with the success of Honeycrisp. Consumers today are looking for a snap when they're biting into an apple, Shane explained, and this has opened the market. "That area is just starting to expand." He noted that at least four new strains of Honeycrisp have begun entering the market in the past fi ve years, but the jury is still out on whether they will be successful. "They have more color, that's for sure, but nobody has enough production of them yet to know how different they are and how well they will do." For now, he is keeping his eye on a few interesting vari- eties, including a completely yellow Gala called Blondie as well as the EverCrisp apple, which is a Fuji-Honeycrisp cross introduced by the Midwest Apple Improvement Association (MAIA) in Ohio. "EverCrisp is along the same line as Honeycrisp texture-wise, but the coloration is different and does not appear to have the same bitter pit problems of Honeycrisp," Shane said, noting that it has some of the appearance of a Fuji, but its ability to yield is not known. EverCrisp isn't the only intriguing variety that MAIA has up its sleeve. "There are others in the fold, and I expect more selections to come out of that group," he said. "These are very new, though, so we'll have to wait and see." • Leslie Mertz, Ph.D., is a freelance writer based in Gaylord, Michigan. ONLINE The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market EXPO will be held December 8-10 at the Devos Place Conference Center and The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Go to www.glexpo.com for details.