Apple Harvest Didn't Meet Forecasted Numbers but Quality was Superb

The New York apple harvest for this year was good, with lots of great quality apples for people to enjoy.

New York Apple Association officials said growers throughout the state produced more varieties of apples, especially more of those consumers want, like Honeycrisp and Gala.

"That's in addition to producing the traditional New York state favorites such as McIntosh and Empire," said Julia Stewart, speaking for the apple association.

Exact numbers for the harvest will be available next year. Association President Jim Allen said

harvest numbers "will be less than 2013 and may not reach our five-year average of 28 million. But the quality is excellent and good size so that provides more fruit to market."

The 2013 harvest boasted a record of 32 million bushels of apples. The original harvest forecast for 2014 was 30 million, according to the apple association.

Apple Association Unveils New Website

Right before the apple harvest in September, the New York Apple Association has revamped its website at NYAppleCountry.com

The refreshed site features:

** profiles on 24 of New York state's top apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, Gala, and McIntosh
** almost 100 recipes using apples or apple products
** facts about the New York apple industry and apples in general as well as frequently asked questions
** a large nutrition section, including apple Nutrition Facts, health and weight benefits of eating apples and research updates from New York Apple Association Consulting Dietitian Linda Quinn, of Syracuse.

"Our goal is to be New York state apple fans' 'go to' resource for apple information," said Jim Allen, apple association president. "So we've provided everything we think they'll want in one attractive, easy-to-use site."