The Big Apple Year

If you think you’re seeing apples everywhere these days, you’re right. This year’s record U.S. crop is almost 10% larger than 1991’s.

Most of that growth is in the Granny Smith variety, which increased 87% over last year and has nearly doubled since 1990. Also on the increase are the ever-popular Red Delicious (up 16%) and Golden Delicious (up 29%).

As a result, apple prices are lower than they have been for several years, as cheap as 49 cents in some stores.

Watch also for the new crop of Fuji apples coming in from Washington state. While Fujis grown in California are green, these Northeastern apples are redder, reflecting the cooler climate.

* The fall crop of artichokes--what there is of it--is appearing in stores. Because of the long warm spell, there won’t be as many of them as usual (though some growers claim this points to a big spring). Also, the heat encourages the chokes to open up more than usual, with wider spread “petals.”

* Look for avocado prices to begin falling soon. The harvest of San Diego Haas avocados is getting under way while Chilean avocados are still on the market. One packer predicts the surplus will lower prices to between 50 and 70 cents a pound.

* This is not a good time to be buying bell peppers. The California harvest is at its very end, but the new crops from Texas, Florida and Mexico have been slow to arrive. Watch out for older peppers with spotted skins or mold growing around the stem.