Arctic Apple Coming to Market in 2017

A new apple variety developed by Okanogan Specialty Fruits will be hitting the market in 2017, the Arctic Apple.

President of Okanogan Specialty Fruits Neal Carter said there was a space in the fresh cut produce sector that apples weren’t taking advantage of.

“We were looking for the technology that would allow us to deliver a fresh cut or minimally processed fresh apple into the consumers hands that had all the great things that they want out of an apple, great flavor, aroma and that’s what arctic apples do.”

OSF was able to find a way to modify the apple so that it no longer browns, but still retained the quality and flavor of the Fuji, or Gala or other family of apples it belongs to.

Carter noted that for growers, new varieties can be challenging, but the arctic apple should have a shorter learning curve.

“Arctic Granny, Arctic Golden, Arctic Fuji, Arctic Gala, they basically grow exactly like their parent so we already know how to grow them. We don’t have to adopt new management techniques and learn how to do it all over again like other new varieties.”

A market test is taking place this winter in the Midwest with slices of arctic apples available for purchase in select grocery stores, but production will ramp up in 2017 and they will be more readily available later in the year.

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