CrimsonCrisp Apples
Co-op 39 — Watch This Page for the New Crop
Thirty-Five Years from Cross to Market — the PRI Programme’s Dark Red Apple
Crossed at Rutgers in 1971, selected at Purdue in 1979, and not released until 2006.
Not listed above? The crop is still on the tree — see Harvest Times, or Ready to Ship for what is leaving the farm today.
CrimsonCrisp: Thirty-Five Years in the Making
CrimsonCrisp is a very dark red, very crisp, genuinely sweet-tart apple — and the most interesting thing about it is not how it eats but how long it took to exist. The cross was made in 1971. The apple reached the market in 2006.
The resistance had to be borrowed from an ornamental crab apple and then, over generations, the crab’s small sour fruit bred back out while keeping the resistance. Each round of that is a tree, and a tree takes years.
CrimsonCrisp Apples at a Glance
Also Called
Co-op 39 — its designation within the PRI cooperative breeding programme.
Bred By
The PRI programme: Purdue, Rutgers and the University of Illinois, working together.
Origin
Crossed 1971 at Rutgers in Cream Ridge, New Jersey. Selected 1979 by E. B. Williams at Purdue.
Released
2006 — thirty-five years after the cross that produced it.
Flavor
Rich and balanced sweet-tart. Sharp off the tree, mellowing noticeably over a few weeks.
Best Known For
Its deep crimson skin, a rich sweet-tart flavour, and holding its crunch unusually well.
Best Uses for CrimsonCrisp Apples
Fresh Eating
Its primary use. Very crisp, deeply coloured and properly balanced — a satisfying apple rather than a sweet one.
Lunchboxes
Medium size, firm flesh, resists bruising in a bag, and stays crisp for hours.
Crisps & Pies
Holds its slices and brings its own acidity, so you can use less lemon and less sugar than a recipe assumes.
Boards & Salads
Pale yellow flesh against near-black crimson skin is the best-looking slice in the orchard.
From a 1971 Cross to a 2006 Apple
In 1971, at the Rutgers Fruit Research and Extension Center in Cream Ridge, New Jersey, two numbered breeding selections were crossed: seed parent PCFW2-134 and pollen parent PR1 669-205. Neither was ever released commercially; both existed purely as steps in a longer programme.
The resulting seedlings were grown out, and in 1979 E. B. Williams picked one from a block at the Purdue Horticultural Research Farm in West Lafayette, Indiana. It carried the designation Co-op 39, and it then spent a further twenty-seven years in evaluation before being introduced as CrimsonCrisp in 2006.
Its deeper pedigree reads like a tour of American apple history — Rome Beauty, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Edgewood, Melba and Crandall all appear — plus one ornamental crab apple that changed everything. For the wider story, see our general apple history.
CrimsonCrisp Timeline
- The PRI cooperative programme begins, uniting Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois.
- PCFW2-134 is crossed with PR1 669-205 at Rutgers, Cream Ridge, New Jersey.
- E. B. Williams selects the seedling at Purdue’s research farm in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Co-op 39 is evaluated across locations and seasons.
- Introduced commercially as CrimsonCrisp — thirty-five years after the cross.
- A favourite of small orchards and home growers, and still rare in chain supermarkets.
The Programme That Took Thirty-Five Years
PRI stands for Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois<
The programme’s legacy is a family of varieties rather than one apple: CrimsonCrisp, Enterprise, GoldRush, Pristine, Williams’ Pride and others. We grow several of them, which makes tasting the programme’s range unusually easy.
Flavor and Texture
CrimsonCrisp is rich and properly balanced — real sugar against real acidity, rather than sweetness with a hint of sharpness. Straight off the tree it is noticeably tart; over a few weeks in storage the malic acid softens and the fruit rounds out considerably.
That means an October CrimsonCrisp and a December one genuinely taste different, and people have firm preferences between them. Neither is the correct version.
The texture is where the name is earned. The flesh is firm and fine-grained and breaks with a clean, hard snap — not the bursting, large-celled crunch of a Honeycrisp, but a solid one that it holds on to far longer than most mid-season apples. It is moderately rather than floodingly juicy, which is part of why slices hold up so well.
Colour and Appearance
Medium-sized, round to slightly conical, and a very dark, almost black-red crimson — the darkest apple we grow. The skin is notably glossy, and the patent records that it has little tendency to become waxy or greasy in storage, which many dark-red apples do.
Cut it and the contrast is striking: pale yellow flesh against near-black skin. It is the best-looking slice in the orchard, and a large part of why it works on a cheese board.
Russeting is minimal. The colour develops strongly and evenly, which for once is not the result of a century of colour-selected sports — CrimsonCrisp simply came out that way.
Harvest, Season and Availability
Our harvest calendar places CrimsonCrisp in the mid-to-late September window. It is close to a one-pick apple, which growers appreciate — colour and maturity arrive together rather than requiring two or three passes through the block.
Bear in mind that harvest date and shipping date are not the same thing. Fruit is picked, graded and packed before it goes anywhere.
See Harvest Times for where this year’s crop stands, Apple Crop Growing 2026 for what is still on the tree, and Ready to Ship for what is leaving the farm today.
Storage and Handling at Home
CrimsonCrisp is a good keeper for a September apple. In a cold crisper drawer at 33 to 38°F it holds its texture well, and its flavour actively improves for the first few weeks as the sharpness settles.
Commercial controlled-atmosphere storage — carefully managed oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity — extends that much further. Long storage in ordinary air is a different matter and tends to cost both texture and flavour, which is why a home refrigerator is not a substitute for a CA room.
Keep apples away from onions and other strong-smelling foods, since they absorb odours, and away from bananas, avocados and leafy greens, since apples give off ethylene gas that ripens neighbours faster. Sort before storing.
CrimsonCrisp Apple Nutrition Facts
A medium CrimsonCrisp apple (about 175 g) is roughly 85 to 95 calories, 24 g of carbohydrate, 18 g of sugars and 4.2 g of fiber. Per 100 grams: 52 calories, 13.81 g carbohydrate, 2.4 g fiber. Figures below come from the USDA FoodData Central entry Apples, raw, with skin (FDC 171688). These are measured food-composition values, not dietary advice.
Full CrimsonCrisp nutrition table (per 100 g and by apple size)
| Per 100 g | Small (~140 g) | Medium (~175 g) | Large (~215 g) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 52 kcal | ~73 | ~91 | ~112 |
| Total carbohydrate | 13.81 g | ~19 g | ~24 g | ~30 g |
| Sugars | 10.39 g | ~15 g | ~18 g | ~22 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.4 g | ~3.4 g | ~4.2 g | ~5.2 g |
| Protein | 0.26 g | ~0.4 g | ~0.5 g | ~0.6 g |
| Fat | 0.17 g | ~0.2 g | ~0.3 g | ~0.4 g |
| Vitamin C | 4.6 mg | ~6.4 mg | ~8.0 mg | ~9.9 mg |
| Potassium | 107 mg | ~150 mg | ~187 mg | ~230 mg |
| Water | 85.56 g | ~120 g | ~150 g | ~184 g |
Figures are USDA values for a raw apple with the skin on.
CrimsonCrisp Compared with Other Apples
| Variety | Flavor | Texture | Season & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrimsonCrisp | Rich sweet-tart, mellows in storage | Very crisp, firm, fine-grained | Mid-late Sept &mdash |
| Enterprise | Spicy, sweet-tart | Firm, thick-skinned | Late Oct — PRI programme-mate, long keeper |
| GoldRush | Intensely tart, complex | Very hard, dense | Nov — PRI, and the longest keeper of all |
| Liberty | Tangy, aromatic, McIntosh-like | Tender, juicy | Late Sept &mdash |
| Honeycrisp | Sweet-tart, bright | Explosively juicy | Mid — more crunch, far more disease trouble |
| Jonathan | Bright, tangy, spicy | Firm, medium | Sept — an ancestor, and still tastes it |
| Rome | Mild, slight tart edge | Dense, thick-skinned | Nov — also an ancestor; a baker |
| Golden Delicious | Honey-sweet, floral | Tender-crisp | Oct — in the pedigree of half the orchard |
| Empire | Balanced sweet-tart | Crisp, firm | Early Oct — similar size and role |
| Cortland | Aromatic sweet-tart | Tender, snow-white | Mid — the pale-fleshed opposite |
| Fuji | Very sweet, low acid | Dense, hard | Late Sept — sweetness without the sharpness |
CrimsonCrisp Recipes & Kitchen Uses
CrimsonCrisp brings its own acidity, so most recipes want less lemon and less sugar than written. Taste the fruit first — an October apple is considerably sharper than a December one, and the same recipe needs adjusting between them.
1. CrimsonCrisp & Cheddar Board
Three apples sliced thin with sharp aged cheddar, gouda, toasted walnuts and a little honey. The pale flesh against near-black skin is the best-looking slice in the orchard, and it holds its colour well.
2. Apple Crisp, Less Lemon
Six apples sliced a quarter inch thick with just 2 teaspoons of lemon, under 1 cup oats, ½ cup flour, ⅓ cup brown sugar, cinnamon and 6 tablespoons cold butter. Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F.
3. Single-Variety Pie
Six to seven apples with ½ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and cinnamon — and skip the lemon entirely if your fruit is freshly picked. CrimsonCrisp holds its slices and supplies its own sharpness.
4. Slow Applesauce
Eight apples chopped skin-on with ¼ cup water, simmered 35 to 45 minutes. The firm flesh takes its time. Sieve for smoothness, and taste well before adding any sugar.
5. Lunchbox Slices
Slice one apple, dip 30 seconds in lemon water, drain and pack. Medium size and firm flesh make this one of the better apples to send out in a bag — it will still snap at midday.
6. Sharp Apple Slaw
Three apples in matchsticks with shredded cabbage, cider vinegar, olive oil and Dijon. Use a little less vinegar than usual; the apple is doing some of that work already.
Why CrimsonCrisp Matters
Most apples on a shelf are there because somebody liked how they tasted or how they shipped.
That is worth knowing when you eat one. The deep colour and the clean snap are pleasant, but the real achievement is invisible: an apple that can be grown through a wet spring without the disease that would otherwise ruin it.
It also shows what public plant breeding is for. No single company would fund a thirty-five-year project whose main benefit goes to growers and the environment rather than to a trademark. Enterprise, GoldRush and Liberty exist for the same reason, and we grow all of them.
CrimsonCrisp Facts, Trivia & a Few Bad Jokes
Thirty-Five Years
Crossed in 1971, released in 2006. Whoever made that cross had most of a career before the apple had a name.
Its Parents Have No Names
PCFW2-134 and PR1 669-205. Deep inside a breeding programme, apples are numbers rather than names.
It Owes Everything to a Crab Apple
A wild Japanese flowering crabapple sits far back in its family tree — several generations before the fruit you eat.
Co-op 39
The PRI programme numbered its releases. Co-op 39 became CrimsonCrisp; others became Enterprise, GoldRush and Pristine.
Why did CrimsonCrisp take thirty-five years?
It kept getting held back a generation. Six generations, in fact.
What do you call an apple that took thirty-five years?
Worth the wait. And slightly harder to find.
Why is CrimsonCrisp so dark?
Thirty-five years of waiting will do that to anyone.
What did Co-op 39 say when it finally got a name?
“About time. I was starting to answer to the number.”
CrimsonCrisp Blog & Shipping Resources
More Questions About CrimsonCrisp Apples
Everything we get asked about Ambrosia, grouped so you can jump to what you need. Tap a heading to open it.
Co-op 39, PRI & the 35-Year Story (14)
Who developed CrimsonCrisp?
CrimsonCrisp came from the cooperative apple breeding program involving Purdue University, Rutgers University and the University of Illinois.
The partnership is commonly abbreviated PRI.
What does CO-OP 39 mean?
CO-OP 39 is the cultivar denomination and cooperative selection identity used in the breeding program.
CrimsonCrisp is the market name used for the fruit and trees.
When was the original cross made?
The patent records a planned cross made in 1971 in New Jersey between the numbered selections PCFW2-134 and PRI 669-205.
Where was CO-OP 39 selected?
At the Purdue Horticultural Research Farm in West Lafayette, Indiana, where E. B. Williams picked it out of the seedling block in 1979 — eight years after the cross was made.
The cross itself had happened elsewhere: at the Rutgers Fruit Research and Extension Center in Cream Ridge, New Jersey. That split is the PRI programme working as designed, with crossing, growing out and evaluation shared across three universities.
When was CrimsonCrisp introduced?
Nursery and industry sources place commercial introduction in the mid-2000s, commonly around 2004 to 2006.
Breeding, patenting, licensing and commercial introduction can occur in different years.
Is CrimsonCrisp an heirloom apple?
No, and it surprises people — it looks like one. CrimsonCrisp is a modern apple, crossed in 1971 and not named until 2006.
Thirty-five years from seed to name. Apples are a slow business.
What was the goal of the PRI program?
To breed apples that were genuinely worth eating, out of a partnership between three universities — Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois, which is where the PRI initials come from.
CrimsonCrisp is one of the results, along with GoldRush and WineCrisp.
Is CrimsonCrisp related to Enterprise or GoldRush?
Yes — they all came out of the same PRI programme, so they are stablemates rather than close relatives. We grow GoldRush and WineCrisp alongside it.
They eat quite differently. CrimsonCrisp is the brightest and sharpest of them.
Is CrimsonCrisp genetically modified?
No. It came from an ordinary hand-made cross in 1971, grown out from seed the way apples have been improved for centuries.
The only genetically engineered apples sold in the United States are the Arctic varieties, and this is not one of them.
Why is CrimsonCrisp a good example of cooperative breeding?
Its development combined germplasm, testing and expertise from Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois rather than one orchard or one chance seedling.
Why does the name fit the apple?
Crimson describes the nearly complete deep-red color, while Crisp reflects one of the fruit's strongest eating qualities.
How long did CrimsonCrisp take to develop?
Thirty-five years. The cross was made in 1971, the seedling was selected in 1979, and the apple was not introduced until 2006.
The resistance had to be crossed in from an ornamental crab apple, then the crab’s small, sour, unmarketable fruit bred back out over successive generations while keeping the resistance. Each round is a tree, and a tree takes years.
What were CrimsonCrisp's actual parents?
Two numbered breeding selections rather than named apples: seed parent PCFW2-134 and pollen parent PR1 669-205, crossed in 1971 at the Rutgers Fruit Research and Extension Center in Cream Ridge, New Jersey.
Neither was ever commercially released, which is normal deep inside a breeding programme.
Who is E. B. Williams?
The Purdue researcher who selected the seedling that became CrimsonCrisp, in 1979, out of a block at the Purdue Horticultural Research Farm in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Selecting is its own skill. A breeding block holds thousands of seedlings, nearly all of them unremarkable, and someone has to walk the rows and recognise the one worth another twenty years of work.
Growing a CrimsonCrisp Tree (3)
Does a CrimsonCrisp tree need a pollinator?
Yes, like most apples — a different variety flowering at the same time. Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Liberty, Enterprise and most flowering crabapples all work.
CrimsonCrisp is a normal diploid, so unlike Jonagold or Mutsu it pollinates its neighbours perfectly well, and one good partner is enough.
How long until a CrimsonCrisp tree bears fruit?
Three to four years on a dwarfing rootstock, and longer on a standard one. It is a well-behaved tree that starts producing young.
Plant a second variety nearby to pollinate it and give it full sun.
Does Honeycrisp.com sell CrimsonCrisp trees?
No — we are a fruit farm, not a nursery. We ship apples, not trees.
What we can do is send you the fruit. See Ready to Ship for what is leaving the farm now, or the listings above for CrimsonCrisp specifically.
Taste, Texture & Appearance (11)
What color are CrimsonCrisp apples?
The patent describes an almost completely red fruit with deep red-purple overcolor and dark purple blush.
The overall effect is a bold crimson apple rather than a lightly striped one.
Is CrimsonCrisp skin glossy?
Yes — the patent describes a glossy finish with little tendency to become waxy or oily in storage, which is a genuine advantage. Some dark-red apples turn greasy to the touch after a few months; CrimsonCrisp largely does not.
That gloss over a very dark crimson skin is the single easiest way to identify the variety on a display.
What color is CrimsonCrisp flesh?
Yellow to pale yellow, and the contrast against the dark crimson skin is striking — one of the prettiest apples to slice that we grow.
The flesh is fine-grained and firm rather than coarse, which is part of why it stays crisp so well in storage.
How large are CrimsonCrisp apples?
The patent gives a medium fruit size of approximately 2.75 to 3 inches, although crop load and orchard conditions influence actual size.
Does CrimsonCrisp have russeting?
The patented description emphasizes smooth glossy skin and little or no russeting under test conditions.
Minor natural surface variation can still occur in orchard fruit.
Are CrimsonCrisp apples sweet or tart?
CrimsonCrisp is balanced sweet-tart or subacid rather than aggressively sour.
The fruit can taste brighter near harvest and more mellow after storage.
Are CrimsonCrisp apples crisp?
Very — it is in the name, and the name is earned. The flesh is firm and fine-grained, and it breaks with a clean, hard snap rather than the bursting juiciness of a Honeycrisp.
More to the point, it stays crisp. CrimsonCrisp holds its texture longer than most mid-season apples, which is a large part of its appeal to growers and farm stands.
Are CrimsonCrisp apples juicy?
Moderately — enough for refreshing fresh eating, but this is a crisp apple before it is a juicy one. It does not flood the way Honeycrisp or Mutsu do.
The trade-off is in its favour for storage and for slicing: less free juice means slices hold up better in a lunchbox or on a board.
Do CrimsonCrisp apples taste like honey or caramel?
Some growers and tasters mention honey, spice or caramel-like impressions. Those are subjective tasting notes rather than guaranteed flavors in every apple.
Why can the flavor change in storage?
Acid, aroma, firmness and sugar perception continue changing after harvest. Controlled-atmosphere storage can preserve a more fresh-like aroma than very long regular-air storage.
Why can one CrimsonCrisp taste different from another?
The usual suspects: harvest maturity, sunlight, crop load, rainfall and how long it has been stored. All of them move sugar, acidity, firmness and aroma.
With CrimsonCrisp the storage effect is the most noticeable. It is quite sharp straight off the tree and mellows considerably over a few weeks, so an October apple and a December apple genuinely taste different. Neither is wrong — people simply prefer different points on that curve.
Eating, Baking & the Kitchen (10)
Are CrimsonCrisp apples good for fresh eating?
Its primary use, and where it is at its best. Deep colour, very crisp flesh and a rich, genuinely balanced sweet-tart flavour make it a satisfying eating apple rather than a merely sweet one.
Serve it cold. And if you find it sharp in early autumn, give it a few weeks — it mellows noticeably in storage.
Are CrimsonCrisp apples good for lunchboxes?
Very good. Medium fruit size makes it easy to pack, the firm flesh resists bruising in a bag, and it stays crisp for hours rather than going limp.
Sliced, it holds up well too, though a squeeze of lemon or a quick dip in lemon water keeps the colour for longer — the pale flesh against the dark skin is worth preserving.
Are CrimsonCrisp apples good in salads?
Yes. Dark red skin and yellow flesh create attractive slices with bright sweet-tart flavor.
Use citrus juice if preparing far in advance because all cut apples eventually brown.
Are CrimsonCrisp apples good for pie?
Yes. Firm flesh and balanced acidity make CrimsonCrisp useful in pie, especially blended with a softer or more aromatic apple.
Are CrimsonCrisp apples good for apple crisp?
Excellent. A crisp is where a weak apple vanishes under oats, butter and brown sugar, and CrimsonCrisp has both the structure to hold its slices and enough acidity to still taste of apple at the end.
Because it is naturally sharp, you can use a little less lemon than a recipe suggests — and taste before adding the full quantity of sugar.
Can CrimsonCrisp make applesauce?
Yes, with patience. The flesh is firm, so it takes longer to break down than a soft apple — allow 35 to 45 minutes of simmering rather than 20.
The result is a bright, well-balanced sauce that usually needs little added sugar. If you want it faster, blend half and half with a tender apple such as McIntosh, which collapses readily and carries the CrimsonCrisp with it.
Can CrimsonCrisp be used for cider?
Yes. It can contribute juice, sugar and acidity to a cider blend. Additional aromatic or tannic cultivars add complexity.
What cheeses pair with CrimsonCrisp?
Try sharp cheddar, aged Gouda, Brie or blue cheese. The firm sweet-tart slices work especially well on snack boards.
Is CrimsonCrisp skin edible?
Yes, and worth keeping on. The glossy dark-red skin is thin, tender and where roughly a third of the fruit’s fibre sits — along with the pigment compounds that make it that colour.
For sauce, leave it on and sieve at the end; it adds pectin and deepens the colour. Rinse under running water and rub with your hands before eating, as with any fresh fruit.
Can dogs eat CrimsonCrisp apples?
Apple flesh and skin are generally considered safe for dogs in small amounts. Remove the core and the seeds — apple seeds contain amygdalin, and the core is a choking and obstruction risk.
Any apple is a treat rather than a food. Ask your veterinarian about your own dog, particularly a small one or one on a controlled diet — we grow apples, we are not veterinarians.
Nutrition, Calories & Carbs (13)
How many calories are in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
A medium CrimsonCrisp — about 175 grams — is roughly 85 to 95 calories. A small one is nearer 70 to 75; a large one runs 105 to 120.
The figure to work from is 52 calories per 100 grams, from USDA, for a raw apple with the skin on. CrimsonCrisp is a firm, medium-sized apple with a bright sweet-tart flavour.
How many calories are in a large CrimsonCrisp apple?
A large CrimsonCrisp of about 215 grams comes to roughly 105 to 120 calories.
Across the sizes we pack: small (~140 g) about 73, medium (~175 g) about 91, large (~215 g) about 112. Multiply the weight in grams by 0.52 for a close estimate at any size.
How many calories are in a small CrimsonCrisp apple?
A small CrimsonCrisp of about 140 grams is roughly 70 to 75 calories.
A kitchen scale beats guessing from the word on the bag — and the apple count on a case is the quickest guide, since a 72-count fruit is considerably larger than a 125-count.
What are the nutrition facts for a CrimsonCrisp apple?
Per 100 grams of raw CrimsonCrisp with the skin on: about 52 calories, 13.81 g carbohydrate, 2.4 g fiber, 0.26 g protein, 0.17 g fat, 107 mg potassium and 85.56 g water.
For a medium apple of about 175 grams that is roughly 91 calories, 24 g carbohydrate and 4.2 g fiber. The full table by size is in the nutrition section above.
How many carbs are in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
About 22 to 26 grams of total carbohydrate in a medium apple, of which roughly 4.2 grams is fiber — so approximately 20 grams of net carbs.
Per 100 grams that is 13.81 grams. That is typical for an apple.
How many carbohydrates are in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
Roughly 24 grams of total carbohydrate in a medium apple, with about 4.2 grams of that being dietary fiber.
Essentially all of an apple’s calories are carbohydrate — there is almost no fat and, in this cultivar, about 0.26 grams of protein per 100 grams.
How much sugar is in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
About 17 to 19 grams in a medium apple, all of it the fruit’s own — nothing is added. That is 10.4 grams per 100 grams of fruit.
CrimsonCrisp is genuinely sweet-tart rather than simply sweet, and it is noticeably sharper straight off the tree than after a few weeks in storage. That is malic acid softening, not sugar rising.
How much fiber is in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
About 4.2 grams in a medium apple with the skin on — 2.4 grams per 100 grams.
That is about average for an apple. Peeling costs you roughly a third of it.
How much protein and fat is in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
Very little of either: about 0.5 grams of protein and 0.3 grams of fat in a medium apple, and virtually no sodium.
Apples are almost entirely water and carbohydrate — CrimsonCrisp is about 85.56 percent water by weight.
How much potassium is in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
About 107 mg per 100 grams, so roughly 187 mg in a medium apple.
That is typical for an apple.
How much vitamin C is in a CrimsonCrisp apple?
About 8.0 mg in a medium apple — 4.6 mg per 100 grams.
Apples are not a major vitamin C source next to citrus; an orange carries roughly ten times as much. What there is sits mostly just under the skin and degrades with heat, so a raw unpeeled apple retains more of it than a baked one.
Should I eat the skin of a CrimsonCrisp apple?
For fiber, yes — roughly a third of it sits in the skin, along with most of the fruit’s colour compounds.
CrimsonCrisp skin is thin, glossy and tender, and it carries the deep crimson pigment that gives the apple its name. Most people eat it unpeeled. Rinse under running water and rub with your hands before eating, as with any fresh fruit.
How many CrimsonCrisp apples are in a pound?
Roughly two large, three medium or four small apples make a pound — three medium is the standard working assumption in American recipes.
CrimsonCrisp runs medium, so expect three to the pound — part of why it makes such a good lunchbox apple.
Harvest, Season & Storage (8)
When are CrimsonCrisp apples harvested?
The patent describes middle-September ripening at West Lafayette, Indiana, with picking in one test year extending from September 15 to October 10.
Honeycrisp.com places CrimsonCrisp in a mid-to-late-September Northeast window. Exact timing varies by orchard and season.
Is CrimsonCrisp a one-pick apple?
The recorded picking window shows that fruit may mature over more than one pass. Orchard color, firmness and starch determine actual picking decisions.
Does harvest date mean shipping date?
No. Fruit must be harvested, sorted and ready for packing. Shipping dates also depend on order sequence and weather.
Is CrimsonCrisp a good storage apple?
Yes. The patent reports up to four months in cold storage, and some nursery sources report four to six months under proper managed conditions.
Those figures demonstrate cultivar potential but do not guarantee the same result in every household refrigerator.
How should CrimsonCrisp be stored at home?
Refrigerate promptly in a crisper drawer or breathable container. Protect fruit from bruising and inspect it periodically.
What is controlled-atmosphere storage?
Commercial controlled-atmosphere rooms regulate temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity to slow aging.
Research indicates CA storage can preserve CrimsonCrisp aroma and texture better than very long regular-air storage.
Why can long regular-air storage cause quality problems?
Extended ordinary storage can reduce aroma and increase tissue disorders even when fruit still looks acceptable.
This is why storage duration alone does not define eating quality.
Can CrimsonCrisp be frozen?
Yes. Peel and slice it for later pies, crisps or sauce. Frozen fruit softens after thawing and is best used for cooking.
CrimsonCrisp vs. Other Apples (6)
CrimsonCrisp vs. Enterprise - what is the difference?
Both came out of the same PRI programme. Enterprise is milder and keeps a very long time; CrimsonCrisp is sharper, spicier and has that deep crimson skin.
If you want a bright, snappy apple with real flavour, CrimsonCrisp is the one.
CrimsonCrisp vs. Liberty - which tastes more like McIntosh?
Liberty is more commonly described as McIntosh-like and aromatic.
CrimsonCrisp has firmer yellow flesh, deeper solid color and a cleaner rich sweet-tart character.
CrimsonCrisp vs. GoldRush - which stores longer?
GoldRush is later and generally regarded as the stronger very-long keeper.
CrimsonCrisp offers an earlier harvest and excellent storage potential for a September apple.
CrimsonCrisp vs. Honeycrisp - which should I choose?
Choose Honeycrisp for explosive juice and a lighter cellular crunch.
Choose CrimsonCrisp for dense crispness, deeper red color, balanced acidity and strong storage potential.
CrimsonCrisp vs Liberty, Enterprise and GoldRush?
Liberty is the softest and brightest, and it is the earliest. Enterprise is the mildest and the longest keeper. GoldRush is the sharpest and the hardest, picked last of all.
CrimsonCrisp sits in the middle and is the most striking to look at — that deep crimson skin is unmistakable. Between the four of them you can eat well from early October into spring.
CrimsonCrisp vs Rome: is it related?
Distantly, yes — Rome Beauty sits somewhere back in CrimsonCrisp’s complex pedigree, along with Jonathan and Golden Delicious.
They eat nothing alike. Rome is mild, thick-skinned and built to hold its shape in the oven; CrimsonCrisp is sharper, crisper and far better raw. If you want the family resemblance you have to look at the pedigree chart, not the fruit.
Buying, Shipping & Ordering (4)
How can I tell when CrimsonCrisp is available?
Three pages between them tell you everything. Ready to Ship lists what is leaving the farm right now. Apple Crop Growing 2026 shows what is still on the tree, grouped by when we expect to pick it. Harvest Times carries the published calendar.
If CrimsonCrisp is not listed above, it is in one of the other two states — not yet picked, or sold through for the season.
Does CrimsonCrisp replenish after it sells out?
No. It is an annual crop on a single harvest, and once the picked and stored supply is gone the next one waits for the following autumn. There is no back room.
That is the honest difference between a farm and a distributor. We sell what these trees produced this year, and when it runs out we say so rather than sourcing something similar.
Why is CrimsonCrisp hard to find in supermarkets?
Because it is grown in small quantities by small orchards. Chains buy on volume and national distribution, and CrimsonCrisp is not grown at that scale.
Farm stands, small orchards and growers who sell direct are where to look — which is a large part of its charm.
What size CrimsonCrisp should I order?
CrimsonCrisp runs medium, which is part of why it makes such a good lunchbox and snacking apple. We pack by apple count rather than forcing everything to one size.
A 72-count case holds noticeably larger fruit than a 125-count case of the same weight. Size has no bearing on flavour. Our shipping information covers packing and delivery timing.
Varietal background reflects published records of the PRI (Purdue-Rutgers-Illinois) cooperative breeding programme, including the 1971 cross at Cream Ridge, New Jersey, the 1979 selection at West Lafayette, Indiana, the Co-op 39 designation and the 2006 introduction. Harvest dates and availability reflect Honeycrisp.com’s own current-season crop. Most photographs on this site are stock images intended to give a general idea of a product, not pictures of the specific fruit you will receive.
Curious how CrimsonCrisp compares to another variety? Browse every apple we grow, side by side, on our full apple varieties guide.
