Products - Eco Apples - Standard and New | Heirloom


The number one reason to eat an Eco Apple is the exceptional flavor.

> Download the EcoAppleQuickGuide.pdf (104k)
> Download the EcoAppleProtocol (zip file of 3 pdfs-444k)

Eco Apples taste great because:

• Northern soils and crisp fall weather are perfect for apple growing.
• They are picked at the right time—our growers don’'t rush perfection.
• Our farms take pride in being the best –- they use ecological methods, pick and pack their own fruit, and their names are on the products.

Eco Apples are earth friendly
Eco Apple farmers use a combination of old agricultural methods and leading edge  technologies to minimize spraying and other environmentally disruptive practices. They’'re pioneers in what is known as IPM, which stands for integrated pest management.

IPM means preventing pest infestations before they happen, monitoring crops closely, and treating pests only as needed. Eco Apple growers encourage and rely on naturally-occurring controls such as ladybugs, spiders, wasps, bacteria, and predatory mites. Eco Apple farmers must have a deep knowledge of apple ecology to succeed. Their methods are more expensive and more labor-intensive than standard practices such as routine spraying. But Eco Apple farmers know it’'s worth the extra effort. One taste, and we think you'll agree.

The farms are certified and inspected by the IPM Institute of North America.

ECO APPLE VARIETIES—STANDARD AND NEW

CORTLAND
Cortland is a round apple with a smooth, shiny red skin. It’'s juicy, with a sweet-tart flavor, and white flesh, which resists browning. It's an all-purpose apple, good for salads, cooking and eating out-of-hand.

EMPIRE
A cross between a McIntosh and Red Delicious, Empire is a round, medium-sized, dark red apple, of excellent eating and cooking quality. Some describe its flavor as spicy. Developed in the 1960’'s at Cornell and named after NY, “the Empire State.”

FORTUNE
A very large, red-colored apple with a cream-colored flesh, fortune stores well and has a crisp texture. It is firm and juicy with a sprightly, spicy flavor, and is good for fresh eating, pies, and sauce. Developed in mid 1990’'s at Cornell – it is an offspring of Empire.

FUJI
The Fuji's appearance varies from yellow-green with red highlights to mostly red. Fuji apples are aromatic and sweet, with a crisp, firm texture. The Fuji's spicy sweetness and texture make it an apple of exceptional eating quality. Developed in Japan in 1939.

GALA
This apple is a cross between Golden Delicious x Cox's Orange Pippin, and has attractive bold red stripes over a yellow background. The fruit is firm, juicy, and fine textured, with a yellow-white flesh. The Gala is sweet, with a slightly tart flavor, helping to make it a real favorite for eating fresh.

HONEYCRISP
This apple is known to be the favorite among newly developed apple varieties, due to its exceptionally crisp flesh, juiciness, and a pleasing, mildly sweet flavor. Honey Crisp is an attractive apple, with a red color over a yellow background.

JONAGOLD
The name of this brilliant golden-red apple reflects its parentage of Golden Delicious and Jonathan. It has the tart-sweetness of the Jonathan, and the juiciness and crisp texture of the Golden Delicious.  It is noted for its large size, beauty and flavor.

MACOUN
A round, medium-sized apple; wine red in color, and often with a pretty, bluish tone. It's exceptionally crisp, juicy and it has a sweet-tart flavor. The Macoun is an all-purpose apple, but is especially good for eating out of hand.

McINTOSH
A round, medium-large apple, very good for eating and baking. It has a sprightly, tart-sweet taste and distinctive aroma. Less known in other parts of the country, McIntosh is one of the most popular apples in the Northeast.

MUTSU (or Crispin)
Very large with yellow-golden-green skin. Crisp, firm textured creamy-white flesh; good both for eating and processing (sauces, pies, baking).  Very juicy with a mostly sweet flavor. Mutsu tastes a lot like one of its parents Golden Delicious, but keeps better and lives up to the Crispin name.

SANSA
An early season firm, high quality dessert apple. The skin is bright red over yellow-green background; it is eye-catching and attractive. “A rose colored apple with sweet-tart flavor”. Sansa tastes Gala-like. It has excellent quality (flavor, texture, crispness, aroma).

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