Snap Dragon and Ruby Frost Apples Debut

August 1, 2013 was the historic day for apple growers and apple eaters in New York State when the names of two new apples were revealed.  These two new apples have been in development for over a decade including a year of rigorous consumer testing.  Cornell breeder Susan Brown at the New York State Agricultural Field Station in Geneva, New York developed the apples.

Snap Dragon is a spicy-sweet, crispy apple bred from the Honeycrisp parent.  It will be harvested in late September, but will have a longer storage and shelf life than the Honeycrisp, a quality which will be appreciated by retailers.

RubyFrost is refreshingly juicy and has a sweet-acid balance similar to Granny Smith and Empire apples.  It has beautiful red skin and is harvested later in the season.  This apple has a quality perfect for school lunches because it does not brown when cut.  Cornell researchers have found that children will eat up to 70 percent more apple when it hasn’t turned brown.

Another historic first for RubyFrost and snapdragon is that they represent a partnership between Cornell and the New York Apple Growers organization.  They have established an exclusive licensing agreement for these varieties in North America.  Growers will pay royalties on trees, acreage planted, and fruit produced with the funds raised used to support Cornell’s apple breeding program.  Since the 1890’s Cornell has developed over 66 apple varieties including the Cortland, Macoun, empire and Jonagold.

In addition to taste and storage, these apples are easier to grow than their parent apples.  Cornell and the New York Apple Growers are utilizing new methods to improve apple growing: IPM (integrated pest management) uses scientific and natural techniques to decrease the use of chemicals.  Using Y-shaped trellises allows for more sunlight which leads to a more flavorful and better colored apple.  New York has also pioneered development of CA (controlled atmosphere storage).  This is a careful control of temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and humidity which allows year-round availability of apples.

SnapDragon and RubyFrost are available on a limited basis only at farm stands this year.  They will be more widely available in 2014 and 2015.  For a fall leaf-peeping road trip, you can find the apples at Bowman Orchards in Rexford, New York (141 Sugar Hill Road, 518-371-2042, www.bowmanorchards.com), Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, New York (5 Sunset Avenue, 518-758-7224, www.samascott.com), or Mead Orchards in Tivoli, New York (15 Scism Road, 845-756-5641, www.meadorchards.com).