Apple Lovers, Get Ready for Apple Season!: U.S. Apple Association Reports an Abundance of Apple Varieties on the Way
Vienna, VA (PRWEB) September 04, 2014 -- Hungry for apples? We’re about to have plenty to choose from as U.S. apple growers are expecting a healthy harvest this season. U.S. Apple Association (USApple) recently forecast growers nationwide will pick close to 264 million bushels of apples this harvest season, which runs primarily from late August through November.
Apples remain the most popular fruit grown in the U.S., where more than 7,500 growers manage orchards covering 325,000 acres. The average bushel holds approximately 126 medium-sized apples, meaning more than 33 billion apples will be grown the United States this year. Apples are grown in every state in the continental U.S. Top producing states include Washington, New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“Growers reported a couple of weeks back at our annual industry conference that their apples are healthy-looking—Mother Nature was kind this growing season, with very little hail damage or problems from insects and other plant pests, so we’re looking good heading into fall,” reports Wendy Brannen, USApple’s Director of Consumer Health and Public Relations.
USApple forecasts 30% of the apple harvest this year will be processed for products like apple juice, applesauce and frozen products, and another 18% will be exported. That still leaves a very healthy supply of fresh apples from which to choose.
“This year’s beautiful, abundant harvest means Americans can eat a new apple variety a day for weeks at a time, making it one of the best times ever to try new varieties as a snack or discover new recipes featuring this super food as a center ingredient. After all, an apple a day really does keep the doctor away, with study after study proving apples hold diseases like cancer, diabetes, asthma and heart disease at bay,” says Brannen.
Gala Most Popular Variety, Honeycrisp Fastest Growing
More than 2,500 varieties are grown in the U.S., but 80 percent of all production is from 10 top varieties. Gala is the most popular fresh apple in the nation, while the fastest growing is Honeycrisp, which has tripled in production the last five years.
The most-purchased fresh apple varieties are:
1. Gala
2. Red Delicious
3. Fuji
4. Granny Smith
5. Honeycrisp
6. Golden Delicious
7. McIntosh
8. Pink Lady
9. Braeburn
10. Jazz
To learn more about apples and apple varieties, visit USApple.org and USAppleBlog.org. For a regular slice of new apple recipes and fresh information, sign up for USApple’s e-newsletter here: http://www.usappleblog.org/sign-up.html.
About USApple
USApple Association is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state and regional associations representing the 7,500 apple growers throughout the country, as well as more than 400 individual firms involved in the apple business. More information on the organization is available at USApple.org.
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Wendy Brannen, U.S. Apple Association, +1 (800) 781-4443, [email protected]
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