Here, in SE NY, the problem is that on vigorous trees they can be insipid. Sugar has to be very high for them to achieve special quality. I picked a few from nursery trees recently transplanted that were excellent, but I have bushels on two established trees that just aren't sweetening up enough. Fruit is dropping but I don't want to pick them while there's still a chance of them getting sweeter. They are huge and beautiful- at least those that didn't get rot.

Maybe they do better in commercial production on more dwarfing rootstock. The two trees they are on in my orchard are on M7.

They are not my favorite apples anyway, but I certainly understand the attraction.

I like the traits of HC that it's name indicates, the sweetness and the crispness, but I hope to see a variety with those traits that adds more apple flavor and a more resistant tree. I am doing the same as you, trying lots of varieties to see what all I like

We've had drought conditions locally around here, so that is probably keeping the sugar levels high on these local fruits.

I think the texture/juiciness is the main reason I love them. The flavor is green apple jolly rancher in my book, not the most sophisticated, but if it has some sugar, its very good. I could probably sit down and eat 5lbs at one sitting. I'll buy a bag of NY HC when they show up...see how they compare.

we could pick ours now, but like so many fruits, letting them hang a bit longer can really make a diffidence, with the "honey" really only coming out late on some years (and some years not at all).
I think the cold nights are linked to this and am hopefully as we have been getting good evening chill.
Normally we get a rather significant premature drop with honeycrisp starting about a week or two ago, but not this year even with a few nights of wind.

Can't believe you're buying apples when there must be so many on your own trees.

Ltilton-

I have about 30 pounds of Cortland and McIntosh in the refrigerator and maybe 50 pounds of Seckel pears... I removed my Sweet 16 to my MIL's house...but i need to grab some scion off of it and put it on my trees. The Honeycrisp is on dwarfing rootstock, with buds placed on several more trees that should grow out nicely next year.

We've been in the 40Fs and 30Fs the last few nights...with sunny cool days. Apples should be loving this.

I just ate another HC. Probably the best one yet. Like candy, with lots of juice and a nice crunch. This is a very hyped apple, that to me, lives up to it. I do wonder if all these Honeycrisp being planted out west can taste as good as a Minnesota grown fruit...or one from upstate NY...? Probably not.

Just picking the first HC in inland So. Calif after a brutally hot and humid summer. They are small, pink-skinned, candy sweet, and very juicy. The texture is more dense, like a Fuji. An excellent eatin experience, way better than any HC we can get at the store.

My eight Honeycrisp apples from a graft are superb this year. They are located on the very top of a Hawkeye Delicious tree and are beautifully colored and huge. Flavor is fantastic. The original tree split down the middle two years ago, and though the apples had been thinned, they had NO taste. This original tree is loaded with buds for next year, so thinning will be the goal for next season.