Posts Tagged “Ambrosia”
Ambrosia and KIKU brand apples continue to be bright spots in the apple category according to the latest retail scan data available from Nielsen Perishables Group.
Data released recently shows that for the four weeks ending May 23, 2015, total U.S. sales of Ambrosia had the strongest growth rate (up 157 percent) among the top 10 apple varieties. Ambrosia was one of only two apples — the other being Honeycrisp — in the top 10 to show an increase in dollar volume performance.
The larger Ambrosia crop has provided savvy retailers with an opportunity to continue to sell this great apple longer into the season, says Steve Lutz, vice president of marketing at CMI. “The story is, consumers continue to seek out and buy Ambrosia as long as retailers carry it,” said Lutz. “When you look at the entire apple category and see that only two apples in the top 10 are showing sales increases, it really shows the emerging following Ambrosia has with consumers. This is exactly the type of growth we saw with Honeycrisp a few years back.”
The May scan data also revealed a second consecutive record sales month for KIKU brand apples. Boosted by imports from New Zealand, KIKU jumped into the top 15 powered by a 305 percent increase in sales, with volume increasing by 420 percent.
“Imported KIKU are clearly generating fresh sales for the apple category,” said Robb Myers, Director of Sales at CMI. “Of the top 15 apples nationally, KIKU’s performance increase was far and away the strongest in the category,” said Myers. He added, “This is great news because it shows how branded apples like KIKU can generate incremental sales for retailers even during the heart of the summer fruit season.”
Myers added that supplies of New Zealand KIKU will be available through the summer months into August. “We anticipated that the strong sales success of KIKU would continue, and we’ve been regularly receiving fresh imports to supply our customers in the U.S. market.” Total apple category volume moved up slightly by 2.3 percent during the month of May. However, declining retail prices offset the volume increase leading to an overall decline in apple category dollars of 6 percent.
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- “The Ambrosia apple variety has a creamy flesh and wonderful taste …right up there with Royal Gala and Braeburn. This apple doesn’t oxidize or turn brown quickly so it’s a nice ingredient for your favourite fruit salad!” sa
ys Pete Luckett, host of the Food Network’s show The Food Hunter. - Although Ambrosia is a sweet apple, official taste comparisons have proved that even the most ardent fans of tart apples will be won over by its juiciness and crunchy texture.
- “The Ambrosia apple variety has a creamy flesh and wonderful taste …right up there with Royal Gala and Braeburn. This apple doesn’t oxidize or turn brown quickly so it’s a nice ingredient for your favourite fruit salad!” sa
Ambrosia is a low-acid apple, which makes it easier for kids and older people to digest.
- Once you have purchased Ambrosia apples, you should store them in the refrigerator crisper to ensure that they retain their flavor and texture.
- Three medium Ambrosia apples equal about 450g (1lb). One medium apple yields about 175ml (3/4 cup) of sliced apples.
- In an article written for the Vancouver Province newspaper, Stephen Wong, a leading Vancouver food consultant and chef, rated the Ambrosia 9 out of 10 for texture, juiciness, flavour, and general attributes.
- Ambrosia apples are now being grown by farmers in North America, Europe, Chile and New Zealand, and are available to purchase in stores around the world.
- In order to extend their availability beyond harvest time, Ambrosia apples are “put to sleep” in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage. CA storage takes cold storage a step further by lowering the temperature and the oxygen levels, so fruit can be stored for six months or more and remain harvest fresh.
- Ambrosias, like other apples, are loaded with health giving properties such as pectin, a cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre, and anti-oxidants, which are good for preventing heart disease.
- The original Ambrosia apple tree was grown from a chance seedling. Commercially viable chance seedlings are extremely rare; less than a dozen of these chance seedlings have found their way to market in the past 50 years.
- Ambrosia means “food of the gods” as depicted in ancient Greek mythology. The name was chosen by Wilfrid Mennell, who, with his wife Sally, discovered the original Ambrosia apple tree in their orchard in the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia.
- When first introduced to the public at the annual Apple Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ambrosia met with instant acclaim and has been a favourite of the Festival ever since.