Hybridization, GMOs and Honeycrisp Apples We don’t mind
admitting that honeycrisp apples, a fairly recent newcomer to
the world of apples, is our favorite apple for just plain
eating. Their tartness balanced with a suggestive sweetness and
the snap that comes with biting into one make for one of fall’s
great gastronomic experiences. The apple, developed at the
University of Minnesota in 1960 and released to growers and
consumers in 1994, also helps illustrate a common misconception
regarding genetically-modified organisms and those developed
through hybridization. The honeycrisp was developed by cross-
pollination of two previously known apples: the honeygold,
itself a cross between the golden delicious and the honeygold,
and the Macoun. While this process can happen naturally by the
wind or various pollinators (like bees), the honeycrisp was
given help. The trees that produced the honeycrisp were
hybridized, much like some of the tomato seed you might have
used in your garden (though these are nearly always “