LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Crunch Time Apple Growers, a New York State-based cooperative of 152 member-growers, announced this season it will deliver 175,000 bushels (a 35 percent year-over-year increase) of its flavorful premium apple variety: RubyFrost™. The unmistakably tart but sweet flavor of RubyFrost apples is back, and soon to be available in select produce aisles, with wider distribution expected in Q1 2022.
Ripe for the opportunity to continue making a name for itself in the competitive premium apple category, Crunch Time undertook a complete brand refresh for RubyFrost apples during its off-season. The overhaul includes an enhanced logo and branding retailers and consumers will begin seeing on packaging, promotional materials and beyond.
“The RubyFrost brand refresh will be transformative this season, and for many to come. We took the time to focus on what it is that consumers love about RubyFrost — the tart flavor profile, perfect size, beautiful ruby red color and versatility of use — and visually accentuated those attributes,” said Jessica Wells, executive director, Crunch Time Apple Growers.
What’s more? Crunch Time will be expanding its distribution reach this harvest season with three new sales partners: Applewood Fresh Growers LLC, Rice Fruit Company and Riveridge Produce Marketing, Inc. These new packers and shippers will allow Crunch Time Apple Growers to expand its geographic reach among existing grocers and new retail partners, particularly in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Greater reach converts to greater access for consumers to buy and enjoy RubyFrost apples on a consistent basis.
“For those who prefer a less sweet, more balanced taste, RubyFrost is the perfect apple. It combines sugar and acidity to offer a beautifully sweet but tart flavor profile that’s packed full of vitamin C so it doesn’t brown quickly,” said fifth-generation farmer Joel Crist of Crist Bros. Orchards Inc. and Crunch Time Apple Growers board chair. “The brand refresh is exactly what we needed to spotlight the appeal of RubyFrost to tart apple lovers for the 2021-2022 season, and beyond.”
Developed, nurtured and bred by Dr. Susan Brown of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, RubyFrost is grown commercially in Upstate New York. Dr. Brown strategically developed the apple — creating a tart flavor profile appealing to about 30 percent of consumers, a versatile apple perfect for cooking, baking and topping salads and naturally non-browning due to high vitamin C.
Its East Coast roots provide the variety a competitive advantage over West Coast premium apples: cost-effective transportation to primary selling regions, greater freshness, quality and, ultimately, lower shelf prices.
For more information on where to buy and stock RubyFrost apples, visit rubyfrostapple.com.
About Crunch Time Apple Growers
When you bite into a Crunch Time apple, you’re not just tasting an incredible apple, but the incredible love and labor of 152 family farmers across New York State. Every Crunch Time apple is non-GMO — super crunchy, delightfully juicy, beautifully colored and carefully grown. When you purchase a Crunch Time apple, you’re biting into history while also helping to sustain the future of family farming for generations to come. For more information please visit CrunchTimeAppleGrowers.com, SnapDragonApple.com or RubyFrostApple.com.
