Stark Scarlet Crush is a Honeycrisp/Pink Lady cross with sweet and citrusy notes, and Honeycrisp’s characteristic snap and juice.
Stark Ruby Darling, a natural hybrid of Honeycrisp and Gala, is a large, cherry-red fruit with a distinctive crunch and extra-large cells of sweet juice. Perhaps the best news for growers is that both of these crosses can be grown farther south than the original, and they also extend the short Honeycrisp season, according to Stark Bro’s.
“Both crosses have good, uniform fruit shape, attractiveness, eating quality and firmness,” said Ken Lane, Stark Bro’s chief marketing officer. “The real benefit is in their ripening time, which is from late September through early October, giving commercial growers a longer, much more profitable harvest window for Honeycrisp.”
The company’s third new apple, Stark Franklin Cider, is high in tannins, acids and sugar.
All three apples were discovered the same way Stark Bro’s Red Delicious and Golden Delicious were discovered: growers sent samples to the company for evaluation.
Stark Bro’s evaluated the Elliotts’ new apples, and two of the samples — now officially trademarked as Stark Scarlet Crush and Stark Ruby Darling — are making their debut in the Stark Bro’s Spring 2017 consumer catalog.
source: fruitgrowersnews.com
