Megan Coleman
Megan Coleman anchors the 5:00p, 5:30p, and 6:00p newcasts on WSTM/NBC and serves as News Content Manager for the CNY Central media group.
Read more: Local, State, Agriculture, Business, Consumer, News, Apples, Crop, Early, Sweet, Harvest
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There is good news for those of you who love to bite into the crunch of a sweet, juicy apple.
It looks like apples will be early this year. That is the consensus of New York State apple growers. This is not the first time apples have come early. The apple crop got off to perhaps its fastest start in history last spring with record warm April temperatures. The growing season was helped along even more by a hot, sunny summer.
This year, the crop is at least 10 days to two weeks earlier than normal across the state. So, consumers should expect to see fresh-picked apples from local orchards by mid-August.
And if you love to take the family to pick your own apples, they should be ready this month as well. "Consumers will have plenty of our fresh apples for Labor Day picnics and back-to-school lunches this year, that's for sure," said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association.
And that is not the only sweet news. Due to the abundant sunshine we've seen this summer, apples and apple cider will have even more flavor. That is because sunlight generates higher sugar levels in apples, known as brix levels. Higher brix levels lead to sweeter tasting apples and cider.
But it looks like we will not have as many apples to feast on this year. New York apple growers predict the statewide crop will be smaller than last year's record crop of nearly 33 million bushels. This year, growers predict we will see about 27 million bushels. That means New York is still the second largest apple producer nationwide, next to Washington State.
One challenge apple orchards faced this year was the frost damage this spring when the trees went into bloom earlier, making them vulnerable to a statewide deep freeze in early May. Harvest of early season varieties like Ginger Gold and Paula Red will begin this week in the Hudson Valley and in Western New York and Central New York within the next few weeks. The McIntosh harvest will begin in mid-August in most regions. Growers say the state's crop of traditional varieties like McIntosh and Empire look promising. Popular varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala and Cortland also look good.
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