PULLMAN, Wash. — It’s an apple over 20 years in the making, and Thursday, Washington State University students and staff lined the halls just to get a slice of the university’s newest creation.
The Sunflare apple, named last year, is the first variety to emerge from WSU’s apple breeding program since the popular Cosmic Crisp launched in 2019. Early reviews from its debut tasting suggest the new variety could be another hit for the university.
“I’ve really been waiting for this for a while, and I can’t say I was disappointed at all,” said Moses Henning, a WSU student who sampled the apple.
Matt Schimmer, another WSU student, described the apple as “sweeter than the Cosmic Crisp. Not too strong of a flavor. Nice and like juicy. I think it’s pretty good.”
The Sunflare is a cross between a Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apple. Developers say it offers a good mix of both sweet and tart flavors while maintaining a crispy, crunchy texture that distinguishes it from other varieties.
“It’s something different. It’s something new, you know, it has a yellow and pink and orange skin that’s very different from the very nice, by color, you know, yellow and very red Cosmic Crisp apple,” said Jeremy Tamsen, senior director for innovation and entrepreneurship at WSU.
The multicolored appearance sets the Sunflare apart visually from the Cosmic Crisp, but it’s the taste that earned rave reviews during Thursday’s debut.
“It has that initial super crisp texture to it. And it’s really, really sweet. It’s just a party in your mouth,” Henning said.
While students and staff got their first chance to try the Sunflare Thursday, consumers shouldn’t expect to find it on grocery store shelves until 2029. The lengthy timeline reflects the complex process of bringing a new apple variety to market.
“So right now the trees are maturing. It’s a long process to wait for trees to mature into commercial production readiness,” Tamsen explained.
Like the Cosmic Crisp, only Washington growers will be allowed to cultivate the Sunflare apple. Currently, WSU is selling trees to growers who will eventually produce the Sunflare apples for grocery stores. WSU hopes the apple will fill a market niche that developers say isn’t currently occupied by the Cosmic Crisp.
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