Mac Riggan, director of marketing for Chelan, Wash.-based Chelan Fresh Marketing, gives growers credit for their patience in cultivating specialty apple varieties like the red-flesh Lucy Rose and Lucy Glo.
“The apples are amazing and they’re worth the effort, but it’s just not an easy process to get to that where you finally really figure out what’s the best place to grow it, the perfect time to harvest it, and then you’ve got to figure out the perfect way to store it," Riggan said.
The varieties are a very small part of the company’s offering – only about 25,000 boxes combined – but consumers love them and they will be back again this fall, Riggan said. Down the road, they could be great as apple slices also, he noted.
The Lucy Rose and Lucy Glo will be available in late October, November and December, and an application is in process for the varieties to get their own PLU numbers.
For merchandising, Chelan Fresh offers a euro box that integrates a sales card for the varieties, and cutting a couple of the apples in half and placing them in the display is another way to generate interest.
“You’ll find people just come over and they’re like, ‘What is that?’ and the minute they say, ‘What is that?’ now you’ve got their attention,” Riggan said.
Read more on specialty produce items in our special section coverage here.