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Bumper Apple Crop Bodes Well for Kentucky Growers
By
Terri McLean
 LEXINGTON,
Ky., (Oct. 18, 2006) – Thanks to a frost-free spring, above
normal rainfall and cooler temperatures in August and September,
Kentucky growers have a bumper crop of high-quality apples this
year, said John Strang, horticulture specialist with the
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.
“We’ve got a 100-percent crop or better of a normal apple crop,”
Strang said. “With the rainfall we’ve had, they have sized up
really well. And with the cool temperatures, this is the best
color I’ve seen in a long time.”
There are between 1,000 and 1,500 acres of apples throughout
Kentucky, Strang said. The state’s growers are known for
producing premium tasting apples because they allow the apples
to ripen on the trees and because most do not irrigate their
fruit, which can dilute flavor components.
“I will admit that it is harder to grow the perfect-looking
apple in Kentucky,” Strang said. “Our high humidity contributes
to fruit russeting (rough skin appearance), and our higher
summer and fall temperatures usually reduce red coloration. But
on the other hand, what are you after? An apple that looks good
in a fruit bowl or one that snaps when you bite into it,
explodes with juice, has an outstanding flavor and makes you
feel like you can’t wait to take another bite?”
Kentucky’s apple producers grow several varieties, including
such consumer favorites as Red Delicious, Golden Delicious,
Jonathan, Rome and Fuji. But they also produce many varieties
that consumers won’t typically find in the supermarket. They
include Honeycrisp, a new variety that is juicy and crispy, and
GoldRush, a tart, firm apple that sweetens up in storage.
“Kentucky apple growers produce varieties that fill the whole
spectrum of taste preferences,” Strang said.
A majority of Kentucky’s apple crop is sold at the retail level,
such as at farm stands and other farmers’ markets. Unlike in
Michigan, New York and Pacific Northwest states, growers here do
very little wholesale production. Local Cooperative Extension
Service offices will know of local apple growers in their area.
Prices for Kentucky-grown apples by the peck or bushel are
“reasonable,” Strang said, especially when compared to prices
consumers pay at the supermarket.
“Most consumers don’t purchase apples by the bushel any more,
and they cringe when they see a grower ask $25 a bushel,” he
said. “This seems high to most consumers because they purchase
apples by the pound. Well, there are 42 pounds in a bushel, and
apples at 98 cents per pound in the supermarket are $41 per
bushel. At $1.69 per pound they are almost $71 per bushel.”
“If you want some good apples, now’s the time to get some and
put them away for the winter,” Strang added. |
Contact: John Strang, 859-257-5685 |
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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Copyright © 2001-2006 University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture,
Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service |
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