Martinelli's cancels contracts with Watsonville apple growers, raising concerns
The report doesn't mention it, but Martinelli's taste doesn't come from just any ol' apples. A major component of its tastes comes from my favorite apple variety - 'Newtown Pippin'. That is the variety those Watsonville growers are growing. Those used to be *the* green apple in stores when I was a kid, but it has been supplanted by the inferior (in my opinion) 'Granny Smith'.
'Newtown Pippin' is a US variety of apple that originated as a chance seedling in NY in the 18th century. The fact that there are fewer and fewer acres of it in the US (in the places where it can be grown well) is a real tragedy.
If Martinelli's stops buying as much, there's a lot of pressure to convert the orchards to another crop, like wine grapes. Market pressures did that to 'Gravenstein' apples in Sonoma and Napa counties. We lose agrobiodiversity when that happens. #FruitToot
'Newtown Pippin' is sweet enough for fresh eating, but has a tart kick for those of us who like our sweet on the tart side. It also has a white wine-like complexity to its flavor which is why it's a major component of Martinelli's famous taste.
It is also a good component of hard apple ciders, which is why the farmer being interviewed is trying to shift to selling his crop to the various craft cider makers around. #FruitToot
If you like Martinelli's (non-alcoholic) cider, I suggest you contact them and remind them that you like what 'Newtown Pippin' contributes to their apple cider blended flavor and you'd like them to keep supporting Watsonville growers of this cultivar.
If you live around that part of California, you can also support these growers by buying apples at their farm shops and support hard cider and other companies that use their crops. Let's keep 'Newtown Pippin'!
Megan Lynch (she/her)
laura lemay
thanne