Just a heads up. I got my first crop of Crunch-a-Bunch after waiting quite a long time- the tree was a twig delivered in June… I was expecting it the following spring. Then it was almost killed by pine-voles, but now it’s a 3" diameter, well branched tree. It seems to lack Goldrush’s precocity.
The fruit is nothing like Goldrush and in all ways but color nearly identical to Honeycrisp. I guess they were trying to recoup their investment and didn’t think folks would go big for a green-yellow Honeycrisp. Same acid-sugar balance. Same Honeycrisp big cell crunch. Same issues with bitter rot. Same size and bred from an open pollinated Honeycrisp.
The good news is that Honeycrisp is a delicious apple by most people’s palates.
If you want an early Goldrush, I suggest running with Adams early strain, it’s a true sport.
I find that Honeycrisp is best for baking anyway, the peel color is irrelevant when baking, in my opinion. Out of curiosity are the apples even close to as big as Honeycrisp when they are grown in the right climate?
This is only the first season, but the apples are mostly quite big, unfortunately, the majority of the big ones rotted before they were ripe. The fruit was concentrated in a few areas of scaffolds, so I left them tighter than I would have otherwise. The one advantage I can imagine about the color is less bird attraction. Also, it doesn’t have the sickly looking Honeycrisp leaves.
It all depends if they are grown in the right climate, and who grows them. I have never had one that was any rubbery, and I used to make and eat apple pies made with them. As far as quality and size. I have seen Honeycrisp apples that are small to huge, I have had Honeycrisp apples that are boring and tasteless, and some where some of the best tasting apples I ever had, and I mean both in a pie and uncooked.
There has already been discussion on this on this forum, and clearly Honeycrisp apple trees are very picky about climate, and if they are grown in the wrong climate they are not really worth buying. Too many people grew them just to make money, and because they were so popular.
Oh yes. We know Honeycrisp is the greatest over-hyped apple. But look at the money places make pretending fussy to grow apple trees are right to sell to novice growers.
To novice growers, and novice apple eaters as well. It’s more than okay to sell the apples themselves if they are grown in the right climate. Yet the reputation of Honeycrisp is being ruined mainly by people eating Honeycrisp that are not much worth eating. I have seen the same thing happening with Gala apples, their quality here varies a lot too.
@Alan, I’m not familiar with Adams and I’m starting to wonder if the Goldrush I grafted last year will be able to ripen here in 4b/5a. I searched for Adams but only came up with Adams Permain - can you point me in a direction for it? Thanks!
Just anecdotal evidence on this, but my Honeycrisps grown in south-central BC have been just as happy as my other apple varieties. No weird leaves or bitter pit and great tasting apples. I’m at about 51 degrees latitude and officially Zone 6, but our last few winters have had Zone 5 temperatures. We have warmer summers than the coast but it mostly stays below 35 degrees (95 F). Actually no days over 35 this summer, which is unusual… and this is my first year getting Honeycrisps, so maybe they will struggle more in a hotter summer.
Nigel Deacon’s website says MM.106 root stock makes a fine Large Green apple that is strongly flavored, crunchy and juicy. And is good from November to April. A better eater then many apples.
I’ve been trying to say that. I don’t know why they call it an early Goldrush, and it is quite misleading. The texture is very different. But I also like it much better than Honeycrisp as grown here, and haven’t had the problems with bitter pit that Honeycrisp has.
BTW, the quality on my first real crop of Crunch a Bunch on the purchased tree is very good. And it didn’t get a lot of attention beyond a few rounds of thinning fruit.
I took the fence off this year and let the deer browse up as high as they will:
My impression is that Crunch a Bunch may be more vigorous than the others with a limited sample. Honeycrisp is lower than typical vigor, and Goldrush is precocious and heavy bearing which is vigor reducing.
@alan It can be quite annoying when you exaggerate like this. Who are you calling liars? Those of us who prefer CaB over Gold Rush? The fact that your Crunch A Bunch are not any good, does not mean others’ should suck, too.
I have had both Gold Rush and Crunch A Bunch for several years now. CaB, in my yard, ripens about 2 weeks ahead of GR (which often does not ripen in time here). CaB has a lighter texture (easier to bite into and crispier) and is more balanced, taste-wise, than Gold Rush. GR has a denser texture and more intense flavor (more acidic, indeed).
I prefer CaB to GR. It is personal taste. That’s my opinion and opinions of some of my friends who tried both of them from my yard. Yes, it is no early Gold Rush. It is better than GR to some of us. There is nothing wrong with that.
I like it better too for similar reasons except I do like the dense flesh on Goldrush too. And I would completely prefer Crunch a Bunch here except that my daughter likes starchy and even sour apples and Goldrush is a great producer.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a properly ripened Goldrush. I hear that there’s an orchard in Corvallis that sells them. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to try them some day.
As a yellow apple enjoyer I’m sad it’s apparently not great. Whoever has rights to Opal needs to make it available. Probably a long time left on the patent though. I’m too tired to check.
