Oh snap, we know the feeling. A good-looking apple that goes soft to the touch and mushy in the mouth, offering no crunch and diminished taste. Nah, that’s not a good feeling at all. Turns out it’s caused by the leading cause of spoilage in all fruits: water loss and oxidation.
We have good news: do you know what Apeel’s plant-based protection prevents? Water loss and oxidation!
We may have started with avocados, but we were quickly discovered by our friends in Washington state, Sage Fruit Company. They had a storability challenge in particular with organic apples that conventional apples can avoid thanks to treatment with ethylene gas inhibitors (that stop the ripening process). Those products are not allowed on organic produce.
So there was a challenge to be met on keeping those apples snappy and fresh tasting. Keith Veselka, a grower in the Sage Fruit Company family, said it best: “One of the biggest hurdles with farming organically is you have limited storage capability. Anything you can do to extend the lifespan of that fruit in storage is greatly to your benefit."
Sage Fruit Company heard that plea, and we got the call. Our relationship actually started with one of the Sage growers coming into their office with news about these amazing longer-lasting, Apeel-protected avocados.
The first question we faced was, if it worked for avocados, could it be just the thing for organic apples? After some trial runs the resounding answer was, “Yes!”
Greg Koch, the CFO of Olympic, one of the packing houses for Sage apples, reports how they ran tests that helped them understand the benefits of Apeel: “Pressures were maintained, so you get a crunchier eating experience if you're a consumer, and ultimately, storability.”
So that’s how snappy, delicious, organic apples started for Apeel: with our “Partner in Good” , Sage Fruit Company. Building on that goodness, we’re now also working with other apple growers, really opening up new possibilities for organic apples.
Our alliance with Sage began in 2019, and it just keeps getting stronger. You can find Apeel-protected apples at supermarkets all over the United States including at select Kroger stores, Harps Food Stores, ShopRites, Fairways and more! Look for the Apeel sticker with our logo that says “Plant-based protection. Longer-Lasting Produce”.
Just like that you’ll be enjoying the kind of freshness that never goes out of season. In fact, we picked up some Galas just the other day, and though apple season doesn’t start until September, those apples packed a punch: flavorful, snappy and delicious. Take it from the apple folks: Apeel + Sage apples go together like apple pie and vanilla ice cream.
