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SugarBee
Apple variety From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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SugarBee (B51[1] or CN121[2]) is a cultivated variety or cultivar of apple discovered by Chuck Nystrom in the early 1990s at his orchard in Worthington, Minnesota.[3] Believed to be a hybrid between a Honeycrisp and another, unknown variety,[1] it is named in recognition of the role played by bees in open pollination, making the variety possible.[4] It was brought to market in 2016.[5] This apple variety is harvested in the fall and is suitable for snacking, baking, apple butter, cooking, juicing, apple sauce, and salads.[6][7] Like its parent variety, the Honeycrisp, the SugarBee is a sweet and crisp apple, but is capable of lasting much longer in controlled-atmosphere storage.[4] Its flavor is similar to caramel and molasses.[7] It is initially available from October to May,[6] but since 2024, efforts have been made to ensure that SugarBee apples are available all year round.[5]
SugarBee propagation rights are held by Regal Fruit International and licensed to Gebbers Farms and the Chelan Fruit Cooperative in Washington State to produce the variety in the United States.[1] Patent for the SugarBee will expire in 2032.[8] In the 2023-24 crop year, the SugarBee accounted for 17% of the apples produced in small volumes in Washington, a category that included 5.5% of the total production of that state.[9] Production grew from 402,000 boxes in 2020 to almost 1.5 million four years later.[9] Demand for organic SugarBee apples has been rising as well.[10] However, due to limited supplies, SugarBee apples are currently only available for sale at small or regional grocery chains.[9]
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References
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