ELGIN, MN - Remember the excitement of fall and apple season? Consumers jump for joy while snacking, juicing, or baking with their favorite round fruit. Good news everyone: Shoppers and retailers don’t have to wait till fall, since Honeybear Brands is already shipping the company’s 2019 Chilean Honeycrisps. The company, a top importer from the Southern Hemisphere, is an expert on the ever-popular Honeycrisps. The first fresh-picked crop of Honeycrisp apples should be hitting retailers’ shelves no later than April 15.
“The difference in the overall eating quality, juicy taste, firm texture, and balanced flavor of these fresh picked Honeycrisps from Chile versus what’s currently available in stores is absolutely night and day,” commented Don Roper, Vice President Sales and Marketing, in a press release. “And that’s deliberate. We invested heavily in our orchards in Chile more than a decade ago and we’ve been at work ever since growing production and fine tuning quality so that we can bring our nationwide retail partners something they can’t find anywhere else at this time of year: the freshest tasting Honeycrisp on the apple deck. Our vertically integrated program insures that customers receive the best tasting and highest quality product in the marketplace because its shipped directly from the orchard and packed to order for our customers in the United States.”
The 2019 crop is the largest production volume of high-quality fruit to ever come out of Honeybear Brands’ Southern Hemisphere orchards for two key reasons. This season saw exceptional growing conditions with the perfect balance of warm days, cooler nights, and perfect rainfall, which ensured the classic traits of the Honeycrisp apple: high color, firm texture, and a juicy, crisp bite. Another contributing factor is the company’s team-on-the-ground’s precision work in gowing, picking, and packing premium quality apples.
“Our agronomic team in Chile truly are Honeycrisp experts,” added Roper. “They’re multi-generation farmers who know what it takes to grow truly market-leading varieties and incredible apples. And they understand how to get the most out of their soil, microclimate, and growing conditions to produce a healthy, exceptional tasting apple.”
Honeybear planted its first Chilean Honeycrisp in 2008 in the Araucania region of Southern Chile, where production has grown to more than 400,000 cases in 2019. Honeybear’s Chilean presence and diligent growing practices makes it one of the leading importers of pears and apples, including the coveted Honeycrisp. Also a leading organic Honeycrisp importer with supply doubling compared to 2018, the company has been transitioning more acreage from conventional to organic production. Honeybear has also made significant investments over the past few years in tree to table supply chain management both nationally and internationally, upgrading standards and practices across every touch point of the apple’s journey to the consumer’s table.
“If you’re growing the best fruit it is just as important to have a best-in-class supply chain from picking and packing to storage and distribution,” said Roper. “Any retailer currently working with us either in the U.S. or overseas can expect one thing: best in class logistics, cold chain management, and support services tailored to their needs. We pride ourselves on that as much as the quality of our apples.”
The University of Minnesota, developer and owner of the original variety, granted Honeybear Brands and parent Wescott Agri Products exclusive production and commercialization rights. One of the first to grow Honeycrisp in Washington state and Chile, the company is widely recognized as one of the premier Honeycrisp labels in the United States.
For more updates on popular fruit availability, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
