Sep 26, 2016

Stemilt’s newest apple gets brand name

The University of Minnesota has chosen Rave as the brand name for fruit sold from the University’s newest apple variety, MN55, which Stemilt Growers holds the license to grow, pack, and market in North America. Rave was selected as the brand name for this apple to play off of the apple’s attributes, including its crunch and flavor, as well as its unique position as the first apple to ripen in Washington State, coming off the tree in late July.

The fruit from MN55 trees will go to market from Stemilt growers as Rave apples beginning in summer 2017. MN55 is a variety that was born back in 1997 at the University of Minnesota’s apple breeding program, the same place that the Honeycrisp heralds from. It’s a cross between Honeycrisp and an unreleased variety called MonArk.

During the 17 years from original breeding to the final release and licensing of MN55 to Stemilt, the University of Minnesota conducted testing to ensure that the variety was of high enough quality to be commercially released. This process included five to six years of testing at multiple locations across the U.S. Together with Stemilt, the University of Minnesota landed on Rave as the brand name for the apple earlier this summer.

Stemilt is now in the process of developing a logo and packaging for Rave™ apples, and expects to unveil a look later this year.