NW Apple Season Off To a Delicious Start!
The Northwest is a region known for its phenomenal apples, and OGC is proud to offer over 60 varieties from our grower partners in Oregon and Washington. From standard fan favorites like Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Pink Lady to intriguing heirloom apples like Cox Orange Pippen and Northern Spy, to newer developments like Cosmic Crisp, this category is diverse in size, color and flavor!
Some heirloom varieties that are limited in volume, like Pink Pearl, have already come and gone, while much of the season is still ahead, with a slew of well-loved heirloom varieties landing each week. High-volume early-season producers like Gala and Honeycrisp have arrived and will be available for months to come, and we excitedly wait for other freshly harvested favorites to join the line-up.
It’s a fantastic time of year to be an apple-lover!
Brian Keogh, OGC’s resident apple expert
While each season presents our grower partners with opportunities to learn and improve, there are almost always unforeseen challenges. The 2021-22 season will be known as the year an early summer heatwave impacted Northwest apples. How drastically this season’s yield will be affected is yet to be seen, but OGC’s apple Buyer, Brian Keogh, has some early predictions.
“The heat impact on this season’s apples is something we are certainly keeping an eye on both in the short and long-term,” Brian shares. “One thing we are confident in saying is that we anticipate that there will be more opportunities during mid to late summer 2022 to bring in a greater volume of import apples than we have in years past to fill the gaps created by a lower yield in domestic storage apples.”
Brian adds, “Despite that, there are a ton of extremely delicious Northwest-grown apples to enjoy right now!”
In fact, with so many incredible varieties, it can be a challenge for retailers to find space in displays to accommodate all the apples available at once, but a feat worth attempting to introduce eaters to this dynamic category.
To help plan for lush, dynamic displays, click here to download OGC’s Northwest-grown apple chart! Perfect for tacking up in the backroom, use this chart to keep teams apprised of what’s on the horizon from OGC as we progress into fall.
With so many apple options to choose from, Brian suggests, “Creating an apple display that includes numerous varieties that serve different purposes is essential.”
Have a few varieties that are great out-of-hand eaters.
Be sure to include something for bakers, as well.
A range of sizes helps shoppers with various needs find an apple that suits them.
Use solid-colored green, yellow, and red apples to break up the more mottled and striped varieties to keep apple runs looking crisp with well-defined lines.
Below, Brian shares some personal favorites to include in displays during the early, mid and late apple season. These tasty varieties will add additional color, texture and intrigue to traditional apple sets of Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady to keep shoppers engaged and eating well!
Early Season
Orange Cox Pippin
This variety enjoys name recognition, and with more volume than many other heirloom varieties, organic Orange Cox Pippin is great for ads! This apple’s orange-red skin and cream-colored flesh have long been familiar across Europe and the east coast and has recently grown a legion of fans in the Pacific Northwest.
McIntosh
Long popular on the east coast and now a west coast favorite, organic McIntosh is the go-to baking apple for shoppers familiar with this variety. Also a good out-of-hand eater, this apple’s red and green skin make for a lovely presentation. McIntosh season is short, so create excitement while you can!
Ashmead’s Kernel
One of the most popular heirloom varieties, Brian describes organic Ashmead’s Kernel as a “fancy fresh eater.” Boasting a really dynamic flavor, this apple is fantastic paired with cheese. The bright green skin of this apple is covered in russeting. Another good variety for ads!
Jonagold
A classic, great producing apple from Northwest growers. Warm red skin with areas of gold make for a gorgeous presentation. OGC works with three grower partners in the Columbia Gorge area that grow this phenomenal apple, a testament to its popularity. Jonagold has an even sugar-acid balance and is a juicy crowd pleaser!
Mid Season
Envy
Consistently voted as one of the best eating red apples every year. “There’s a reason for other apples to envy it,” says Brian. High sugar, crispy yellow flesh, excellent almost tropical flavor. Fun fact: this apple is only produced organically in the US as they are sensitive to weather issues in New Zealand.
Opal
Yellow-skinned, Opal is an absolute mid-season must-have. Recently developed by First Fruits, this apple does not oxidize when cut, meaning its white flesh stays white! Dynamite flavor, this apple has tropical overtones. Opal’s flavor changes drastically when eaten at room temperature and when cold, so experiment with both. This apple adds a great splash of color to racks!
Northern Spy
Excellent sweet-tart varietal and great all-purpose apple. Northern Spy is delicious in crisps or out-of-hand eating. Lovely green skin flushed with red stripes and pink blush make this apple visually enticing. Try an old variety that’s new (to you).
Mutsu
Originating in Japan, this green apple surprises with its sweet, crisp flavor. Mutsu adds color to racks and its visual appeal is almost as incredible as how it eats! Great for baking, too!
Late Season
Arkansas Black
This classic Old World varietal has deep, dark ebony-red skin with slight veining through its flesh. It’s a stunner! A great fresh eater, its touch of tartness makes it a great apple for processing and baking.
Cosmic Crisp
A new apple from Washington, Cosmic Crisp has been heavily planted, so there’s plenty for all to enjoy! Sharing the same overall qualities as Honeycrisp with the added benefit of being a longer storage variety that produces better tonnage for the farm! Overall red skin with light lenticels resemble a starry sky, hence the “Cosmic” in this crisp and tasty apple’s name.