Tree Top Shares Tips that are Good to the Core

When the leaves start changing and the air turns crisp, it can only mean one thing: National Apple Month! Tree Top Inc., a grower-owned fruit co-op with more than 1,000 growers in the Pacific Northwest, is celebrating the occasion along with the U.S. Apple Association. Annually, apple harvest runs between late August and November, right at the peak of ripeness. It’s the perfect time to enjoy and talk about apples.

Keeping Apples Out of Landfills

Every year, nearly 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted1 and approximately 20 percent of the total apple crop considered unsuitable for the fresh market. That means that edible apples that have cosmetic blemishes – otherwise known as “ugly fruit” – are being thrown away. Food dumped in landfills can produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas that fuels climate change.

Tree Top was founded more than 50 years ago by a small group of Washington state fruit growers, who weren’t happy that perfectly edible apples were being wasted. Apples that were damaged by hail or heat, too small in size, misshapen or had poor coloring were being tossed into landfills by the tons.

“Tree Top purchases these apples that may not be ‘pretty’ enough for the fresh market and turns them into delicious products and ingredients,” said Dan Hagerty, senior vice president of CPG sales and marketing at Tree Top. “Creating products that consumers enjoy helps increase demand for apples and introduces apple varieties to the marketplace to uplift the entire business.”

Good to the Core

With the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency announcing the first ever national target for food waste in September, it’s more important than ever to be sensitive to what we toss into the trash. With the help of U.S. Apple Association, Tree Top has some bite-sized tips to getting the most out of fall produce.

• Refrigerate apples as soon as possible to slow ripening and maintain flavor. Properly refrigerated apples can keep anywhere from 4−6 weeks.
• Transform bland, mealy apples into a tasty snack by making homemade applesauce.
• Got a little too excited at the apple orchard last weekend? Prevent apples from going bad by peeling, cutting and coring the apples and soak in ascorbic acid (prevents browning). Place slices on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, store in plastic freezer bags or containers. Hint: These are perfect for apple pies!
• Whole fruits and vegetables – like apples – can be used in commercial-grade blenders for nutritious juices and smoothies.

For more information, including apple products, recipes and nutrition facts, visit www.treetop.com and www.usapple.org.

About Tree Top Inc.

Since 1960, Tree Top® has delivered products and ingredients that reflect the company’s passion, attention to quality and craftsmanship. Located in the heart of Washington’s apple country and supporting more than 1,000 growers, Tree Top is a global business firmly rooted in the co-op’s small-town heritage. Values such as supporting small business and agriculture, using local ingredients and packaging that lessens impact on our environment, developing products that are wholesome and pure, and treating employees right are at the heart of what we do at Tree Top, and have been since day one. From taste to nutrition to price, Tree Top is always the Good Pick for you and your family. For more information, visit www.treetop.com or connect with us via www.facebook.com/treetop, @treetopinc, www.instagram.com/treetopinc or http://pinterest.com/treetopinc.

1 Global Food Losses and Food Waste – FAO, 2011 The environmental crisis.
The environment’s role in averting future food crisis – UNEP, 2009

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