With its brilliant crunch, juicy sweetness and cosmic-speckled skin, this Batlow-grown apple is shining bright just in time for winter.
In the cool-climate orchards of Batlow, NSW, where crisp mornings and clean mountain air help shape some of Australia’s finest fruit, a relatively new apple has quickly become one of the most anticipated arrivals of the season. The Cosmic Crisp apple, grown locally by Red Rich Fruits, returns to shelves from late June after a debut season that saw it sell out in just five weeks!
At first glance, it’s striking: a deep, richly coloured red apple dusted with tiny freckles that create its signature star-speckled appearance and inspired the “cosmic” in its name. But beyond its looks, Cosmic Crisp has built a following for what happens at first bite.
That crunch is no accident. Cosmic Crisp is a natural cross between Honeycrisp and Enterprise apples, developed over two decades by Washington State University to achieve a specific combination of texture, flavour and longevity. When it came time to bring the variety to Australia, Batlow was a natural fit. “It took Washington State University 20 years to cross-breed, so when it came time to select the regions to grow the Cosmic Crisp here, Batlow was an obvious choice, as it’s climatically very similar to Washington,” Matt explains.
“Honestly, it was the best moment where all of our hard work over the years had come together,” says Red Rich Fruits Director Matt Palise of tasting the first Batlow-grown crop. “You get that really loud crunch straight away, and there’s a really nice sweetness about it, a bit of tang, plus it’s really juicy. It felt like one of those apples where you think, ‘Yep, shoppers are going to love this’.”
The result is a fruit that’s firm, exceptionally crisp and beautifully balanced in flavour; not sugary, not sharp, but sitting comfortably between honeyed sweetness and bright acidity. It’s layered, juicy and deeply satisfying; the kind of apple that makes you reach for another.
One of Cosmic Crisp’s most practical strengths has also become one of its biggest drawcards: it browns remarkably slowly once cut. For busy families, that small detail has made a huge impact. “Lunchboxes are a big one for us,” Matt says. “We noticed shoppers were cutting up one big apple and sharing it among all the kids’ lunchboxes, and they saw first-hand how slow the apples were to brown. We think it makes for a really nice eating experience for kids – but even adults are packing lunchboxes for work these days.”
As the new season begins each winter, Cosmic Crisp arrives for only a short window, but come harvest time, there’s little doubt about when the fruit is ready. “They are the brightest red,” Matt laughs. “You can’t miss them!”
For more information, visit cosmiccrisp.com.au
Cosmic Crisp Air Fryer Apple Crumble
4
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
2 2 u0007Cosmic Crisp apples, cored, sliced in half
1/2 cup 1/2 rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 plain flour
1 tsp 1 ground cinnamon
2 tsp 2 brown sugar
20 g 20 salted butter, melted
20 g 20 maple syrup
Method
- Core the apples, then slice each one in half.
- For the Oat Crumble, combine rolled oats, plain flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, melted butter and maple syrup in a small bowl. Mix until the oats are well coated and crumbly.
- To top the apples, place halves cut-side up and spoon oat crumble generously over each half.
- To cook, preheat air fryer to 160°C. Place the apples in the basket, cut-side up. Cook for 15-18 minutes or until tender and golden.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of maple syrup.
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