Honeycrisp harvest is underway in Michigan.
The many fans of Honeycrisp apples will be happy to learn that all signs point to a fine crop this year.
But that good news presents new challenges for Michigan growers.
Philip Schwallier owns Schwallier's Country Basket in Sparta.
He says Honeycrisps can be especially tricky to grow, store and pack.
“It’s kind of an exceptional apple. It doesn’t follow the rules of traditional apples,” he says.
Honeycrisp will vary in maturity on the same tree which makes judging ripeness tricky.
“You don’t want Honeycrisps that are all green, then you’re going to have trouble with storage,” he says.
Schwallier recommends folks go for Honeycrisps that have a bright, cherry red color.
“If you want to keep them fresh and high quality, they really require refrigeration,” he says.
But frost-free refrigerators will dry them out. So if you want to slow down that process just put them in a plastic bag inside the fridge.
