CHASKA, Minn. — Horticulturists at the University of Minnesota want to know: How do you like them apples?
On Thursday, the U revealed its 29th variety of apple, MN33, which will be sold under the brand name Kudos when it's available for consumers in the next two to three years.
The university said the brightly colored red fruit is "crisp with a juicy texture and well-balanced flavor with occasional tropical overtones." University of Minnesota apple breeder David Bedford said in a statement that eating a Kudos is like having a "tropical party in your mouth."
"It has the crisp, juicy texture of Honeycrisp and the rich flavor of Zestar! but with a slight tropical twist," he explained.
The apple breeding program at the University of Minnesota has been in practice for more than 100 years. Its crowned jewel, the Honeycrisp, was developed in 1960 and has since been grown and become beloved among apple eaters across the world.
On Thursday, Bedford showed KARE 11 the area where the Kudos is being grown, located at the Horticultural Resource Center in Victoria. The development process, he said, started roughly 22 years ago.
"It's a lot like a marathon," Bedford said. "You're happy when you see the end in sight and it's really gratifying when you get across the line."
Although they won't be commercially available for three to four years, there are high hopes that these Kudos apples will add to the U's incredible history of apple breeding.
"That's what this job is about. That's what the university is here for, to carry this legacy and keep it going," Bedford said. "This is about finding something you would enjoy and making an enjoyable eating experience. We've been working for 115 years on that. This is our 29th introduction from that process and we hope there's more to come."
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: