Scientists Created a New Apple That Rivals the Cosmic Crisp, Meet Sunflare Apples

You might not know it, but new apples come along quite often. We know, right? It’s easy to think of produce as immune to the wild experiments conducted by food manufacturers that reveal their results in the snack and frozen aisles, but the truth is that growers and scientists are constantly working on new varieties that take the best qualities of certain fruits and vegetables and push them forward. We’ve recently had new varieties like SnapDragon and Kudos enter the market, and pretty soon we’re getting another one: Sunflare, a type that’s been bred at Washington State University.

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But what are Sunflare apples? How do they taste? And when can you get one? Don’t worry: We’ll tell you everything you need to know.

What Are Sunflare Apples?

The Sunflare Apple, which was formerly known as WA 64, is a new variety created by combining Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apples (which were two of our favorites in our official apple taste test). The apple has been in development since 1998, when a Honeycrisp flower was pollinated with Cripps Pink tree pollen. It’s a bicolored affair, with a yellow skin that gives way to an attractive pink blush, and it’s also a hardy apple, able to better withstand changing weather conditions and retain its crispness for longer when on the shelf. Importantly, the team at WSU has stressed that Sunflare apples aren’t made with any engineering or modification.

How Do Sunflare Apples Taste?

Pretty good, people, pretty good. Sunflare apples have a bright, crisp, and fruity floral flavor that some have found compares surprisingly to other fruits. “It’s more of a soft, smooth flavor. It reminds me of a banana in that way, honestly,” said Alyx Herring, a sociology student at WSU, who was recently one of the first people to try a Sunflare apple, as reported by The Spokane-Review. Sunflare apples have a good firmness and fall on the smaller end of the spectrum. 

When Can I Try These Apples?

Well, unless you were one of the people at the WSU tasting, then you might have to wait for a while longer. Sunflare apples will be available for commercial farmers to start growing this spring, but they probably won’t be on grocery store shelves until 2029 at the earliest. It takes a lot of time to get apples right, guys, and we don’t want to rush this one. 

Until then, you’ll just have to make do with your Cosmic Crisps and SugarBees, or the myriad other apple-flavored products that are out there today. Burger King’s apple pie is back, just FYI. That’ll tide you over until Sunflares arrive.