Honeycrisp admirers describe the popular variety as being sweet, juicy, and crunchy. Honeycrisp apples have delighted consumers with their taste and growers with their high returns. The unmanaged variety, released in the early 1990s, has proven that consumers will pay more for an apple they like. But what is it specifically that they like about Honeycrisp? “What’s the deal with Honeycrisp? Everything,” said Dr. Carolyn Ross, food science professor and manager of Washington State University’s Sensory Evaluation Unit. Ross works closely with WSU’s cherry and apple breeding programs, using trained sensory panelists and consumers to map consumer preferences and identify […]