{"id":18274,"date":"2022-10-18T14:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T18:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/horticultural-science\/news\/your-guide-to-north-carolina-apples\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T13:40:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:40:32","slug":"your-guide-to-north-carolina-apples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/horticultural-science\/news\/your-guide-to-north-carolina-apples\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Guide to North Carolina Apples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With temperatures dropping and leaves changing colors<\/a>, fall is in full swing in North Carolina. Though there are many fall activities to choose from, including picking pumpkins<\/a>, apple picking remains a favorite seasonal tradition. And October also happens to be National Apple Month, so it\u2019s the perfect time to get pickin\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Parker,<\/a> a tree fruit specialist with NC State Extension and an associate professor in the Department of Horticultural Science<\/a>, has worked professionally with apples for over 45 years. A Michigan native, he also grew up on a small fruit farm and later earned his master’s degree in postharvest physiology and a Ph.D. in orchard management production from Michigan State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parker gives an inside look at North Carolina\u2019s apple industry to prepare you and your family for a \u201cunbelievapple\u201d trip to apple orchards this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Variety of Different Varieties<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When visiting an apple orchard, the number of apple varieties is a great opportunity. From green to red to even darker red, there are multiple options. When choosing what you\u2019d like to pick, it\u2019s important to know that apples are classified by flavor: sweet, semi-sweet and tart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s a balance between the sugars and acids that give each a unique flavor,\u201d says Parker. \u201cIt’s a genetic trait of each variety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tart apples have a higher acidity-to-sugar ratio, and sweet apples have a higher sugar-to-acidity ratio. Ranging from sweet to tart, each year, there are primarily six to eight varieties grown in North Carolina<\/a>, and in some orchards, more than 40. Growing choices are made based on consumer preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNC growers don’t want to grow what they can grow. They want to grow high-quality fruit that the consumer wants,\u201d\u00a0 says Parker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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