Washington State University

Everything You Need to Know About the Cosmic Crisp Apple | Eater

"Researchers at the university spent roughly 20 years developing a new apple cultivar called the Cosmic Crisp (WA 38), a cross between the durable Enterprise and the flavorful Honeycrisp. The fruit is described as a rich red that almost sparkles with starburst-like lenticels, naturally slow to brown and excellent for storage—traits the breeders hope will pair durability with standout flavor. Its launch is being driven by a large-scale commercial strategy (about a $10.5 million marketing budget), massive plantings (12 million trees) and initial availability of 450,000 40‑pound boxes with projections above 2 million boxes, positioning the variety as an attempt to revive the apple industry after the decline of varieties like Red Delicious. Project developers, including Bruce Barritt, emphasize that the effort reflects a shift toward active marketing, patents and commercialization to ensure growers can compete in a crowded fruit market." - Jaya Saxena