GENEVA, N.Y.—The New York Apple Growers (NYAG) are excited to announce the unveiling of two new apple varieties – SnapDragon™ and RubyFrost™ developed in partnership with Cornell University. These variety names were chosen as a result of extensive consumer research.
Previously known by the aliases of NY1 and NY2, the newly named varieties will be rolled out this fall with NYAG member farm stands, a first step in building consumer awareness. Limited supplies to select supermarket retailers will be available in 2014 with a larger distribution expected for 2015.
The names were revealed Thursday by Jeff Crist, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of NYAG at a field day at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., where Cornell University breeder Dr. Susan Brown developed the varieties.
“SnapDragon is a great name for this apple because it is known for its crispy texture and sweet flavor,” said Mark Russell, apple grower and NYAG member and Mark believes this makes it perfect for snacking, especially for kids.
SnapDragon™ gets its bursting, juicy crispness from its Honeycrisp parent, and it has a spicy-sweet flavor that was a big hit with taste testers. Brown recognized its promise and fast-tracked it for commercialization.
“I remember my very first bite of SnapDragon. The taste, the crispness and the juiciness impressed us,” said Brown. “Retailers will appreciate its other qualities as well, because although SnapDragon’s harvest window starts relatively early—in late September—its long storage and shelf life means retailers may be able to offer it with consistent quality for a longer time than Honeycrisp.”
RubyFrost™ ripens later in the fall providing a classic taste of autumn well into winter and packing an added punch of vitamin C. This variety will be marketed as a seasonal “limited-time only” release available in the winter/spring months.
“I think juicy and refreshing when I eat a RubyFrost,” said Russell. “It’s a fascinating apple, with a beautiful skin and a nice sugar-acid balance, but to me the crisp juiciness is rewarding every time. I don’t know how to express the idea of juice in a name, but ‘frost’ captures its refreshing quality.” Brown expects that RubyFrost™ will be popular with fans of Empire and Granny Smith.
The two varieties have been a decade in the making, and their path to go to market is a first for the Cornell apple breeding program. Historically, public universities developed new apple breeds and released them to the industry freely. But in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act gave universities the right to retain the intellectual property rights for their research, with limited plant-based royalties.
In May 2010, Cornell forged a partnership for a ‘managed release’ with a newly formed industry group, the New York Apple Growers LLC (NYAG), to establish an exclusive licensing agreement in North America for the two apple varieties. Growers pay royalties on trees purchased, acreage planted and fruit produced, and the income is being used to market the new varieties and support Cornell’s apple breeding program.
The first trees were planted in farmers’ orchards in 2011, and now 400 acres are growing across the state. According to NYAG, the still-young trees will produce a limited crop this year, but intrepid consumers can search out SnapDragon™ and RubyFrost™ at farm stands across the state. By 2015, the varieties will be in vying for space in grocery stores among the Empires, Galas, and Honeycrisps.
Greater quality, better storage, and disease and insect resistance have long been the goals of Cornell’s apple breeding program. In addition to SnapDragon™ and RubyFrost™, Cornell has released 66 apple varieties since the late 1890s, including the popular Cortland, Macoun, Empire and Jonagold.
About the New York Apple Growers (NYAG): Formed in 2010, New York Apple Growers, LLC is a grower-owned company comprised of 140 Members in the state of New York representing about 60% of the state’s production. These growers have united with the mission of introducing exclusive club apple varieties to the produce industry.