The apple has a long history as a beloved fruit in America. Stories of Johnny Appleseed, the enjoyment of apple picking, the deliciousness of apple pie, and the growing market for craft ciders are just a few examples of how this (mostly) red fruit has become ingrained in our culture.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently predicted U.S. apple production for August 2024 to July 2025 will come in at 11.1 billion, a 2% decrease from last year.

Apple varieties number into the thousands with different types preferred for eating, making juice and cider, baking and processing. Growers are constantly experimenting with new varieties. One farm in western New York is growing about 7,000 types in search of the next bestseller, according to Christopher Gerlach of the U.S. Apple Association. In 2018, Gala apples became the most-produced variety in the U.S., ending a 50-year run for Red Delicious at the top.

So many kinds of apples, and everyone has a favorite

Can’t tell a Honeycrisp from a Fuji? You are not alone.

Apples vary in flavor, color and texture. And while all apples can be enjoyed right off the tree, some are favorites for eating and others for cooking or processing.

The redder an apple, the higher price it brings, Gerlach said. As a result, growers are experimenting with redder versions of some apples. A redder version of the Honeycrisp now being grown is the top-volume apple being rung up at registers in the U.S. It has the added benefit that it can be harvested about two weeks earlier. Different growing timelines for different varieties are a must for producers, who need staggered harvests to have enough workers to bring in the crops.

Top 10 apple varieties at the grocery store

Firmer apples higher in acid are a bit more tart.

“A good baking apple doesn’t break down as much during cooking – you don’t want a soupy pie,” said Kim Kropf, owner of Hart Farm LLC in Lowell, Michigan, and a member of USApple’s Board of Directors. Typically, higher sugar varieties break down more. Combining sweet and tart varieties together can lead to favorable results.

The economic impact of apples

Americans consume an average of 26 pounds of apples and apple juice a year, creating a strong domestic market for apple growers. About two-thirds of apples produced are sold as fresh fruit, and most of the other third are processed. About 3% go unsold, according to the U.S. Apple Association.

In 2022, China alone was responsible for producing 2.5 billion bushels, about half of the world’s total supply. In 2021, Turkey overtook the U.S. to become the world’s second-largest apple producer and maintained that spot in 2022, even widening the gap between us (253 million bushels, 5%). The U.S., in the third spot, was credited with 232 million bushels and 4.6% of world production.

SOURCES: YSL News Network reporting and research, U.S. Apple Association, Category Partners, Nielsen IQ, Washington Fruit Growers, USDA