Honeycrisp apples are classified asMalus domestica , a mintage within the Rosaceae fellowship , which includes other pome fruits like pears , cherries , and plums . The genusMalusencompasses all domesticate apple cultivars , and Honeycrisp is a New variety develop through controlled hybridization - breeding . usher in by the University of Minnesota , its parentage includesHoneygold(aGolden Deliciouscross ) andMacounas confirmed by DNA testing , though earlier claims suggestedKeepsake . This site it among mid - to - tardy - time of year sweet apples , bred for especial crispness and savor rather than cyder or misrepresent alone .
Honeycrisp apples were explicate in 1960 at the University of Minnesota ’s Horticultural Research Center in Excelsior , Minnesota , as part of a cold - hardy apple education program head by Dr. David Bedford and Jim Luby . The mark was made betweenMacoun(sweet , redolent ) andHoneygold(crisp , hardy ) , aiming for a fruit that could hold up rough winters while offer higher-ranking appreciation . Initially throw out due to piteous initial trial , a surviving tree was rediscovered in the eighties , patented in 1991 ( expired 2008 ) , and released commercially in 1992 . Named for its honeyed sweet and curt bite , it rocket in popularity in the U.S. and Canada by the 2000s , becoming a supermarket star and a top seller in Minnesota and beyond .
Honeycrisp apples are average to large , typically 7 - 9 cm in diameter ( about 200 - 300 grams ) , with a unit of ammunition - to - slightly oblong flesh . Their cutis is sparse , smooth , and mottled , have a white-livered base with a crimson - to - pink blush covering 50 - 90 % of the surface , speckled with outstanding lenticels . The flesh is creamy yellow , coarse - textured , and explosively crisp due to turgid cells that burst when bite , encase a pocket-sized core with tiny browned seeds . They mature mid - to - late season ( September - October ) and store well for 6 - 10 month refrigerate , retaining texture . The taste is sweet balanced with moderate tartness ( 13 - 15 % Brix ) , provide a red-hot , love - like nip with suggestion of pear and citrus , cause it a standout for tonic eating .
Honeycrisp apple trees ( Malus domestica‘Honeycrisp ’ ) thrive in USDA zones 3 - 8 , surpass in colder temperate realm like Minnesota , Michigan , and Ontario , where they were bred for winter hardiness ( down to -30 ° F/-34 ° C ) . They require 800 - 1000 chill hours ( below 45 ° F/7 ° C ) for quiescence and fruit set , performing well in zona 4 - 7 with cool leap and tender summertime ( 70 - 85 ° F/21 - 29 ° C ) . Mid - season blooming ( April - May , flower group 3 ) reduce frost peril , though zona 3 may need windbreaks . They call for full Sunday ( 6 - 8 hours daily ) and well - drained , loamy soil ( pH 6.0 - 7.0 ) , conform to wide-ranging elevation but favour tank summers to maintain crispiness .
