What Happens When a Honey Bee Creates a New Type of Apple?
It's called the SugarBee Apple, and it's delicious.
Many apple varieties were the result of match making. People looked at two apples and thought, "awww you two would make delicious babies!" When folks in Minnesota did that with the Macoun and Honeygold, we got the iconic Honeycrisp. However, as I've now learned, it's not the case for all apples.
The SugarBee Apple doesn't only get its name from the sweet flavor. Apparently, back in the 90s, a honey bee accidentally created this apple. It was just going about it's business, collecting pollen from some unknown tree and eventually passing it to a Honeycrisp tree. The result was the SugarBee Apple, and I wish that bee were alive today so I could thank it for its service.
An Apple That Lives Up to its Name
As I was expecting from the name, this is indeed a sweet apple, but it's not simple. Some sweet things are very basic, like a spoonful of table sugar, but the SugarBee really is more like a spoonful of honey. There's actual flavor happening here, not just a sweet punch to the mouth. The slightly warm white color of the flesh emphasizes the caramel-y flavor, too.
The other thing I really enjoyed was the crunch. Whatever that unknown tree was, it must have been a sweet, firm apple, because the SugarBee is a bit crunchier and sweeter than a Honeycrisp. That could just be due to its smaller size, though. Regardless, it's tasty and crunchy. Hear my first bite for yourself.
Speaking of that unknown tree, I think another characteristic of its apples must have been thick skin. It's not crazy thick by any means, but it's definitely thicker than a Honeycrisp. The skin would sometimes rip away from the flesh, leaving jagged edges behind. It got stuck in my teeth more than usual as well.
Back to the positives, I have to hand it to the bee for picking an attractive tree to start with. I quite like the yellow and red gradient effect, and the black specks give it a unique look among other apples. I think I could pick it out from a lineup.
The Peanut Butter Test
In case you didn't know, apple slices dipped in peanut butter is an elite snack. As part of this apple reviewing venture, I also want to find out which apple tastes best with peanut butter.
A favorite childhood snack of mine was peanut butter and honey sandwiches, so I immediately had high hopes for the SugarBee Apple. It did not disappoint. I typically prefer a slightly tart apple to balance the richness of peanut butter, but the warm flavors of the SugarBee Apple complimented it well.
The Final Bite
In the end, I think nature did a bang up job with the SugarBee Apple. It's complex sweetness and crunch overcome the slight annoyances of the skin. I'd happily eat a dozen of these. Humans have made some pretty dang impressive apples, but bees have been doing this stuff for much longer than us. Sometimes, it's best to step aside and let the experts do their job.
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