Pennsylvania's apple fight: York over Honeycrisp
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How do you like them apples? If the answer is "local," then you're probably munching on these.
Why it matters: Tomorrow is National Apple Day — and we're giving a sweet salute to a delicious fruit core to Pennsylvania, as the country's fourth-largest apple producer.
The big picture: Although York is the most produced apple in the Commonwealth, Gala and Red Delicious are the top apples nationally.
- And the third biggest apple in the U.S.: Honeycrisp, which has had a nearly fivefold output increase since 2011, per USApple data.
Between the lines: A portion of the apples produced are not eaten fresh; they're used to process goods like applesauce.
Zoom in: Nationally, Honeycrisp's appeal has "changed everything," says Jim Bair, the president and CEO of USApple — but here, it's almost bottom of the barrel.
- Plus: Honeycrisps are the highest-priced variety for grower and consumer: They average $2.16 per pound, while Galas and Red Delicious retail for under $1.40, per the USDA.
What we're watching: One of the newer apple varieties with Honeycrisp parentage could be the next big thing.
- See: Cosmic Crisp, SnapDragon, Evercrisp, Sunflare and First Kiss.
💭 Isaac's thought bubble: When I was a kid, I used to take a baseball bat to the fallen apples on my grandfather's land in Albuquerque's South Valley.
- More recently, the GF and I batted .1000 when we collected our own apples at Styer Orchard in Langhorne and baked our first vegan pie. We lucked out. The crust didn't taste like "hold your tongue and say apples."
💭 Mike's thought bubble: For my money, GoldRush is king. It's got everything I look for in an apple: super crispy, sweet and tarty.
- My go-to places for local apples (outside the orchard) is Weavers Way Farm Market at Henry Got Crops or it's Mt. Airy store.