New York Apple Growers launch RubyFrost
New York Apple Growers launch RubyFrost
New York Apple Growers has launched another new apple variety, called RubyFrost, which will be available at participating retailers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. RubyFrost is known for its rich color, definitive crisp texture and a delicate balance of sweet and tart flavors.
RubyFrost apples will have a limited crop this year, but a much larger rollout is expected for 2016.
Developed by Cornell University, RubyFrost — as well as SnapDragon, which launched this past November — is licensed for a managed release with the New York Apple Growers. Both varieties have been a decade in the making, with the first trees planted in farmers’ orchards in 2011. Now the still-young trees have produced a limited crop this year with plans for a much larger rollout with increased retail participation in 2016 as the trees continue to mature and produce more fruit.
RubyFrost is being marketed as a seasonal wintertime apple that’s available for a limited time only. Marketing efforts include in-store demonstrations, point-of-sale materials with high-graphic bins, online coupon, food blogger outreach, public relations and social media activities.
“We tested this apple this past January in select New York stores and the results were very positive,” Jeff Crist, vice chairman of the NYAG board of directors, said in a press release. “In-store surveys revealed that consumers really liked the sweet and tart flavor and crisp texture of this apple.”
A website was developed to provide consumers with nutritional information, recipes and pairing ideas at www.RubyFrostApple.com. The site also includes a “Meet the Growers” section that profiles a grower of the month and provides the full list of growers in New York state.
“Families who enjoy eating apple slices will find that ‘Rubyfrost’ not only tastes great, it does not brown quickly after slicing," Susan Brown, apple breeder at Cornell’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, said in the release. "It is great as a quick, healthy, enjoyable snack, great on a cheeseboard or fruit salad and also performs well in baking.”
Formed in 2010, the New York Apple Growers is a grower-owned organization united with the mission of introducing exclusive, premium flavor apple varieties to the marketplace. NYAG is comprised of 145 grower members in the state of New York, representing about 60 percent of the state’s apple production.
