Cosmic Crisp: Star apple hits US shelves after 20 years

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - A newly-developed apple, the Cosmic Crisp, has made it to U.S. grocery shelves after years of research, according to media reports.

The fruit, which is to be solely grown on farms in the state of Washington in the northwestern U.S. over the next decade, cost $10 million to launch, according to BBC.

The variety was developed by experts at Washington State University, after two decades of research, the report added.

Taking its name from the bright spots on its dark red skin that resemble stars, the apple is advertised to last up to a year in refrigeration.

With only 450,000 boxes having been produced so far, it is currently being sold only in the U.S., but its developer, horticulturist Bruce Barritt, plans to cross the border to Canada with his signature harvest in 2020, per Toronto-based CTV News.

The Cosmic Crisp -- takes its name from the bright dots on its skin -- is the first apple ever bred in Washington D.C. and the producers have already planted 12 million of the new species.