WENATCHEE, Wash. – Harvest has begun for the 2017 crop of SweeTango apples. With orchards spread across prime apple-growing regions in Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Nova Scotia, Canada, timing of harvest varies by region, typically beginning in the West and concluding a few weeks later in Nova Scotia. The anticipated total crop is slightly larger than last season’s.
The West and Midwestern regions began picking on August 21, and the Eastern region will begin next week followed by Nova Scotia later in September.
Following harvest, SweeTango apples are conditioned by cooling the just-picked fruit to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This locks in the apple’s sweet-tangy flavor and helps maintain the quality of the apple’s thin skin that yields its remarkable crunch. Once conditioned, the apples will be ready to ship to markets across the country and consumer SweeTango season will officially begin as the apples first reach markets near Labor Day.
Favorable finishing weather across all regions is ensuring SweeTango’s signature bright red coloration over a sunny yellow background.
Brianna Shales, Stemilt Growers communications manager, noted “the color and finish on the Western SweeTango crop is beautiful. Shoppers will love its sweet and tangy flavor once again and this popular apple is ready to help signal fall in produce departments in the U.S. and Canada.”
Scott Swindeman, vice president of Applewood Orchards and All Fresh GPS, indicated that harvest and packing are well underway in southern Michigan with the northern orchards yet to start. “The eating experience is fantastic and our cooler temperatures have brought us the best red color finish we’ve ever experienced.” He continued, “we look forward to a successful SweeTango season for retailers and consumers, with an excellent quality crop that will please retailers and consumers alike. A range of sizes will be available for retailers, from tray-pack fruit for attractive bulk displays, to smaller sizes ideal for SweeTango pouches that are a hit with consumers.”
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ABOUT NEXT BIG THING, A GROWERS’ COOPERATIVE
Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative is a 47-member cooperative of family growers, spread over five time zones from Nova Scotia to Washington State, that grows and markets managed varieties of apples, beginning with SweeTango. You can find more information on SweeTango at http://www.sweetango.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sweetango.
Source: Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative