New Apple Variety from FirstFruits of Washington

The intensely sweet and crunchy new apple variety Sweetie, from FirstFruits of Washington, will be making an appearance at retail this September. First planted in New Zealand, Sweetie is now grown in Washington State by Broetje Orchards and is sold by FirstFruits Marketing. Sweetie combines the attributes of its two parents – Gala and Braeburn – but with a unique flavor of its own. It was first planted as a 30-acre test block in Prescott, Wash. Over the past two years, additional blocks have been planted as trees have been determined to yield good quality fruit and consumer response for the variety has been positive. “We are always looking for new varieties that will resonate with consumers to bring to our customers. After our huge success with Opal we knew we would have to follow with something great, and I think we have found it in Sweetie,” says Andy Tudor, marketing manager at FirstFruits of Washington. “Launching a new variety is a very complex process,” continued Tudor. “The fruit needs to be grower friendly, have a good shelf life and appearance, and have some kind of unique quality to get people to try it. Sweetie has all of those characteristics and I believe we have a winner once again.” Sweetie was granted its own PLU #3628, and will be featured in the new product showcase at the Fresh Summit Convention and Expo in October.