What Happened to the Ida Red Apple?
In this newsletter, I discuss what has happened with the Ida Red apple and why you may not be finding it like you did in the past.
Recently, I asked what apple varieties you were having a hard trouble finding that you used to be able to find, so that I could cover each of those varieties and look into why you may be having trouble finding them. If you want to submit an apple variety for future newsletter like this one, use this 1-Question Survey.
The first apple that was submitted with this form is the Ida Red apple. If you aren’t familiar with this variety, you can read about it on my blog
Ida Red is a variety that isn’t widely available in stores. It’s always been more of an apple that you have to get directly from the orchard or farmer’s market. If they do end up in a grocery store, it’s usually one that specializes in carrying local apples, and the season is typically pretty short. For example, I have seen them at Meijer stores in the Midwest for a couple of weeks in the fall, and I have heard that Stop & Shop may have them for a short time as well.
You may have memories of picking these apples at an apple orchard in the past, but if you’ve moved away, you might not have the chance to get them where you are. I’ve seen forums online where someone was asking where to find them after moving into the city.
The reason why you would want to find this variety is that it’s more on the tart side, making it a great baking apple. I once worked at Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and during the season, they would use Ida Red apples for their pies. A couple of nights before Thanksgiving one year, I had to help prep the apples for the pies.
The demand for Ida Red isn’t super high as more sweet out of hand eating apples tend to be the priority. So it’s one you have to search out for during the season if you want to have some. On my Ida Red review page you will find a lists of apple orchards to look for the apple at. The apple variety is also included on my list of 28 Common & Uncommon Apples to Bake With.
If you are interested in learning more about the best apples to buy at each grocery store, check out this page. The guides are available for our premium subscribers.
Wondering what ever happened to Braeburn apples? This is my most viewed post on the Substack page.
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If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I hoped you enjoyed today’s newsletter.