Savory Apple Facts:
Selecting, handling and cooking with Virginia Apples.

Apple Usage Chart:
Which apple varieties are best for pies, salads, sauces, baking or eating fresh. Also, an availability calendar.

Five Reasons To Eat An Apple Every Day

• Warm days, cool nights and a rich deep soil nurtured by consistent rainfall makes Virginia's climate ideal for growing many apple varieties.

• Virginia's apple harvest begins in July and extends through early November. Majority of Virginia apples are harvested in September, October and early November.

• An average of 5-6 million bushels of apples are produced annually by Virginia growers. American apple growers produce over 255 million bushels annually, which equals just over one bushel of apples per person in the United States.

• Virginia apples are grown in over 100 commercial orchards, totaling more than 16,000 acres of land.

• Virginia apple growers produce many popular varieties including Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome, Stayman, Gala, Winesap, York, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Fuji and Ginger Gold.

• Virginia apple country includes the mountainous region of the northern Shenandoah Valley through the Roanoke Valley, the rich countryside of Albermarle and Rappahannock counties and the southwest counties of Patrick and Carroll. The majority of apples trees are grown in the Shenandoah Valley.

• Virginia apple varieties require 90 to 175 growing days from spring bloom to fall harvest.

• With the use of Controlled Atmosphere Storage, or CA, apples are placed in airtight warehouses where the climate is maintained to delay further ripening.

• From 1992 to 1997 over 1,880,000 new apple trees were planted in Virginia orchards.

• Depending on the type of root stock, 100 to 500 apple trees are planted to the acre.

• In Virginia, the estimated commercial apple yield per acre is 700 bushels.

• Seventy percent of Virginia apples are sold for processing and made into popular products such as applesauce, apple juice, apple butter, slices and cider.

• Virginia apples are destined for markets in 15 states and more than 20 countries.

• The Virginia apple industry contributes an estimated $235 million annually to the state's economy.