BC APPLES: Deliciously Crisp Did You Know?
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BC APPLES: Deliciously Crisp did you know? bc the hot and dry summers of the okanagan-shuswap-similkameen produces over and creston valleys are the perfect climate for growing 300 million deliciously crisp apple varieties apples per year you pick! ambrosia apples what’s your type? that’s BC producers specialize The Ambrosia apple most common varieties 60 in growing over 12 was found as a apples types of apples, chance seedling per british producing mostly Gala, by a BC columbian Ambrosia, McIntosh, orchardist Honeycrisp and in the 1990’s. over Spartan — but The Mennell 1. GALA 2. AMBROSIA 3. MCINTOSH 80% Pink Lady is gaining family propagated of apples in popularity. trees for testing, are eaten fresh and patented the new variety to be developed as a 4. SPARTAN 5. HONEYCRISP 6. PINK LADY new apple. BC APPLES: Fruitful Production did you know? what happened in spring, when millions of orchard trees blossom, bc growers to the big old apple trees? and beekeepers work in collaboration placing beehives in orchards In the mid to ensure proper pollination and production 1980’s, the BC industry summerland r&d planted purposely- Biting into that delicious grown trees closer bees and apple doesn’t always together. With the pollination happen by chance. At smaller trees, the Apple trees must be Summerland Research use of ladders was cross-pollinated to long-term and Development not necessary, bear fruit. The bees Apple breeding is a Centre, scientists are increasing safety carry pollen from very long-term project. studying apples to for pickers, and one apple blossom It can take up to 25 generate new varieties new smart to the next, giving birth years to develop a that meet consumer irrigation systems to an apple. Orchardists new apple variety. preferences, are were put in place. let dandelions grow to The Spartan apple disease resistant This translated provide nectar as bees was naturally bred and are suitable into larger crops need a balance of and invented in to BC’s growing of higher- pollen and nectar to Summerland in the conditions. quality apples thrive. Apple trees 1930’s. It’s now grown that grow take at least 5 years to and sold across quicker and reach full production. the country. more efficiently. BC APPLES: From Farm to Table bc apple growers are producing and bringing you only the finest quality apples. fresh bc apples are available year-round 4 fresh to market Some apples may be 1 processed into juice 3 (it takes 4 apples to handpicked make one glass of getting the grade apple juice), sauces, Apples are carefully dried fruit or other handpicked and The apples are then apple products. collected in bins and 2 transported on conveyor belts to be then delivered by truck They are available cooled, graded by size to the packing house. washing up year-round as they are and colour and At the packing house, stored in controlled packaged. they are run through a atmosphere wash before being air rooms until they dried and coated in a are ready to food-safe wax to help be shipped retain their moisture. to market..