Michigan's Paula Reds have arrived!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Denise Yockey
(800) 456-2753
(DeWitt, Mich.) – Paula Red apples are ripe for the picking, which signifies an important fall event in Michigan – the arrival of apple season!
Growers couldn't have chosen a better apple to usher in the Michigan harvest season than the Paula Red. A true Michigan original, the Paula Red was discovered in Sparta – the heart of Michigan apple country – around 1960. Grower Lewis Arends discovered the variety in his Kent County orchard near a section of McIntosh trees. He named the new variety after his wife, Pauline.
This pleasingly tart-tasting apple with a fantastic aroma first hit the market in 1968 and has since become known for its versatility, ideal as much for applesauce as well as lunchboxes. This year, the Paula Red is expected to be available beginning August 13.
“Paula Reds are the first apples off the tree and, of course, for that reason are very eagerly awaited,” said Denise Yockey, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee. “The arrival of this variety in the supermarket signifies that many more delicious apples are on their way.”
With this year's warm temperatures and moderate rainfall, the Paula Reds as well as all Michigan apples are expected to be even tastier and sweeter.
Most of Michigan's apple-producing counties have experienced a great Michigan summer, which points to an outstanding fall harvest. By the end of October, Michigan's apple growers and their migrant workforce expect to hand-pick about 20 million bushels of apples.
The nation's third-largest producer of apples, Michigan grows more than 20 varieties of apples on a commercial basis. The majority of those apples are grown in 37 counties spanning West Michigan from the Indiana border to Charlevoix.
The Michigan Apple Committee is a grower-funded nonprofit organization devoted to promotion, education and research activities to distinguish the Michigan apple and encourage its consumption by consumers in Michigan and around the world. For more information, visit MichiganApples.com.