More apples, more varieties in this year’s Washington apple harvest

When a quality product meets the high expectations of its advanced marketing, a star of the produce section is born.

The Cosmic Crisp apple fits that description, and its skyrocketing production and consumption leads a wave of new varieties that are expected to help boost the 2024 Washington apple crop above three of the past four years’ harvests.

“People like to try new varieties, to mix and match … and Cosmic Crisps are very popular,” said J.R. St. Aubin, co-owner of the Fruit City farmstand in Union Gap.

“(Cosmic Crisps) keep like a rock – it’s scary how well they keep their crispness,” St. Aubin added. “You can forget about them and leave them in your fridge for weeks, even months, and they’re still hard and taste good.”

For nearly six decades, Fruit City has provided customers with Yakima Valley-produced fruits and vegetables throughout the harvest seasons – from asparagus in the spring to as many as 18 varieties of apples in the fall.

St. Aubin and his brother, Lynn, purchase apples from growers across the valley. Besides the variety in types of apples, they buy from orchards ranging from small to large.

“My mom and dad started this business in 1966 – we’ve been around for 58 years, knock on wood,” J.R. St. Aubin said. “My brother and I grew up in the valley, we know a lot of the growers. We work with a lot of the smaller growers and try to buy from a variety of people.”

This year’s crop forecast

Growers both large and small expected to have good crops this fall, according to the forecast issued by the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.

The association, which represents growers, packers and marketers of Washington apples, pears and sweet cherries, expects this year’s moderate weather will help deliver a crop estimated at 124 million standard 40-pound boxes of fresh apples.

“We are seeing a more normal harvest and excellent fruit quality this year,” said Jon DeVaney, WSTFA president. “A moderate spring and warm early summer created stable growing conditions.”

DeVaney called the 2024 harvest forecast “a return to recent historic norms” after two unusual years.

The 124-million box estimate is close to Washington’s 2020 and 2021 apple crops of 122.5 and 122.9 million boxes, respectively.

Cool and wet weather dampened the 2022 crop, which was 103.9 boxes statewide, then 2023 saw a much larger “rebound” crop of 136.1 million boxes, DeVaney said.

Apples continue to be the state’s leading agricultural commodity, representing $2 billion, or 16%, of Washington’s total farm-gate agricultural value in 2022.

Derek Sandison, Washington State Department of Agriculture director, noted that nearly 30% of the annual apple harvest is exported.

“Apples are synonymous with Washington state, and we are known for producing the world’s finest apples,” Sandison said. “Thanks to the more favorable growing conditions this past year, we expect the projected harvest to be not only high in quantity, but also quality.”

DeVaney noted that the 2024 apple forecast is based on a survey of WSTFA members and represents the best estimate of fruit that will be harvested, packed and sold on the fresh market. It does not include apples sold to processors.

The apple harvest began in August and typically continues into early November, with this year’s relatively mild fall weather helping harvest conditions.

Galas are the most popular variety

WSTFA’s forecast includes estimates for each variety of apple, with Galas expected to be the most popular at 19% of the total Washington apple crop.

Those are followed by Granny Smiths (14.5%), Red Delicious (13%), Honeycrisp (12%) and Fujis (10.5%).

Cosmic Crisps, developed by Washington State University specifically for Eastern Washington’s growing conditions, are anticipated to be 9% of this year’s crop. DeVaney noted the variety’s significant growth in popularity since it was introduced just five years ago, as Cosmic Crisps represented 1% of the harvest in 2020 and 6% of the crop in 2023.

J.R. St. Aubin, at Fruit City, is not surprised. As he stocked his shelves with apples on Oct. 17, a large display table of the dark red Cosmic Crisps were prominent.

“They’re a good apple,” he said of Cosmic Crisps. “They spent millions of dollars on advertising and marketing before they even came out, and then once people started trying them … you can get them everywhere now.”

St. Aubin offers other new varieties of apples, such as Sunrise Magic, Triumph, Ludacrisp and Lucy Glo. The latter, one of the season’s earlier varieties, has a yellow exterior but a pinkish-red interior that has proven popular with Fruit City customers.

“They’re pink on the inside and have a great taste,” St. Aubin added. “People that know about them come in here and when they see (Lucy Glo), they want a whole box. They sell out quickly.”

Other varieties sell based on how the purchaser plans to use them. Applesauce makers, for example, traditionally like to mix Jonathan apples with Golden Delicious, but as Jonathans become harder to find, the hybrid variety Jonagold has become popular, St. Aubin said.

The tart, green Granny Smith variety has long been the standard for apple pies and other baking, but St. Aubin said customers can use Gala or Fuji and their sweeter taste means bakers don’t have to add as much sugar to their recipes.

Organic apples

Other varieties listed in the WSTFA 2024 apple forecast include Cripps Pink, predicted to be nearly 7% of this year’s crop. Envy and Golden Delicious are predicted to be 3.5% each, and Ambrosia at 2%. All remaining varieties represent about 6% of the 2024 crop.

DeVaney said organic apples are also increasing in popularity, representing 16% of the forecasted 2024 harvest, compared to 11% of the crop five years ago.

Washington state generates more than 90% of the nation’s organic apple production, and they are grown, packed and marketed according to USDA national organic program standards, he said.

“Our growers work hard to deliver the apples that consumers want and enjoy, and for many consumers that includes organics,” DeVaney added.

Contact Joel Donofrio at jdonofrio@yakimaherald.com.