Apples are available up to two weeks early this year in New York State, according to the New York Apple Association. The crop got off to perhaps its fastest start in history, thanks to warm April temperatures.
Fresh-picked local apples were making appearances by mid-August, and pick-your-own orchards will have apples ready in August 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,” says Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association.
The growing season was also accelerated by a hot, sunny summer. Because of the plentiful sunshine this summer, apples and apple cider will have an extra sweet flavor. Sunshine generates higher sugar levels, leading to sweeter-tasting apples and cider.
However, crop sizes are also expected to be smaller this year, due to frost damage this spring. Apple trees went into bloom early because of the warm temperatures in April, but were then vulnerable to the statewide deep freeze that occurred in early May. This year’s crop size is expected to be 27 million bushels, notably lower than last year’s record crop of nearly 33 million bushels.
The largest US apple crop was 277.3 million bushels in 1998. New York is the second largest apple producing state in the United States, behind Washington State which produces over 100 million bushels each year, according to the New York Apple Association.
The most produced apple in New York State is the McIntosh variety, followed by Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Rome, Idared, Crispin, Paula Red, Gala, Jonagold, and Jonamac.
Many of these varieties were “born” in New York, some as local as the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. Each variety has a specific flavor and has its special uses, such as baking, sauces, and salads. For example, the McIntosh variety has a sweet with a tart tang and is excellent for eating and making applesauce.
The Idared variety has a history that leads back to Penn Yan. This variety was developed in Idaho and is a cross between two old time New York apples, Wagener, which was first raised in Penn Yan in 1791, and Jonathan which was first grown in 1826.
Craig Wager of Wager’s Cider Mill in Penn Yan says “Apples are definitely early. About 12 days early now.”
Wager is pleased with both the quantity and the quality of his apples this year.
There was some crop damage due to poor weather earlier this year, but Wager says there is about 80 percent of the crop available. The quality is also going to be very good because of the pleasant sunshine.
“If the weather keeps up the way it is, it should make for a sweet year,” says Wager.
Apples need plenty of sunshine to produce a sweeter taste and Wager says that the apples should be very sweet this year.
“It’s too early in the year for people to think about apples,” he says. “When the weather starts getting cooler, that’s when people start to think about apples.”
Sunshine isn’t the only thing apples need to grow; rain and cold nights also aid in the growing process.
Sarah Gilbert, an employee at Wager’s Cider Mill, adds, “The more sun, the sweeter the apple, and the more rain, the bigger the apple.”
Wager explains how cold nights aid the apple-growing process.
“It’s hard for apples to get their color right now,” he says. “There have been warm nights. Apples need cold nights to develop that red color.”
As for cider, Wager says that because of the sweet apples, the cider should be sweet as well.
“The cider will definitely be sweet this year. Grape juice will also be sweet and early,” he adds.
Gilbert, who has been working at the cider mill since 2005, says the Honeycrisp variety is the most popular at the Wager’s Cider Mill, but that her favorite is Cortland. “It’s a tart variety and I love tart apples,” she explains.
Wager says that along with an early and sweet apple crop, the prices have also dropped, so he encourages apple-lovers to come early this year to enjoy some local apples, cider, grapes, and peaches.
Grapes
Along with an early apple season, grapes seem to be coming in early as well.
“The grapes have been early pretty much all year,” says Hans Walter-Peterson, a Viticulture Specialist and Viticulture Extension Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension. “We try not to predict anything anymore,” he adds.
Walter-Peterson says that the grapes look good and clean this year, but that there will be a significant difference in tastes.
“These past two years, 2009 and 2010, are two years that really illustrate the hardships of farming, not just for grapes, but for all farms,” he says.
Last year, the Finger Lakes area received a lot of rain and moderate temperatures, which impacted the taste of the grapes and the wines made from these grapes. This year consisted of much more sun and warmer climates, which helped the grapes to mature faster.
“Wines can be different depending on the weather,” says Walter-Peterson.
“With these two years, you can see how weather can make a difference in taste.”
Walter-Peterson is glad to see the grape harvest will be early, but he says that there are risks with any crop that arrives early.
“An earlier harvest means less of a chance that we’d run into a frost,” he says.
“But if we do get bad weather, the grapes are turning soft, so they’re vulnerable.”
Grapes need hot, dry weather for most of the growing period, and too much rain can damage a crop. Unexpected weather like late-snow or even hail can severely, if not completely damage a grape crop.
With both apples and grapes being expected to make an early appearance, orchards and vineyards should be open earlier to greet those who wish to enjoy some fresh, local fruit, cider, and wine.
