Inaugural commercial crop of red-fleshed apples receives a positive response
The first volumes of Australian-grown Red Moon apples have hit the market with Barolli Orchards introducing the red-fleshed offering in July.
The Red Moon brand is comprised of two red-fleshed and scab-resistant apple varieties – RS-1 and RM-1 – developed in France by Jean-Luc Carrieres and the nursery Escande.
Barolli Orchards is the exclusive Australian grower and marketer and one of only two global licensees.
Head of operations Nathan Barolli said the first commercial crop was grown in the company’s orchards in Batlow, New South Wales and the initial reaction has been positive.
“We launched our first volumes of Red Moon apples in the past month through the wholesale markets in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne and independent retailers. We received a really good response,” said Barolli.
“The apple’s deep red internal colour really catches the eye and it is a solid block red which is unique. It’s also got beautiful external colour which looks great on the shelf and in a box.”
According to Barolli, Red Moon apples have a high sugar content and balanced taste with a slight hint of tartness. Research has also shown that Red Moon apples, particularly their skin, have a high concentration of anthocyanins, bolstering their health credentials.
Barolli Orchards first planted Red Moon in its Batlow orchards four years ago and it is also running trials in its Shepparton orchards.
“In 2000 we lost about 70 per cent of our orchard to the bushfires in Batlow and we decided to replace some of it with Red Moon,” said Barolli.
“We had our first commercial crop this year of 30 tonnes and hope to ramp up to 200 tonnes over the next few years. We might also explore licensing it to other growers in the next couple of years as we see how the market reacts.”
Another advantage of Red Moon is that it stores well, which Barolli said could bode well for export, allowing the company to target key windows such as Lunar New Year in Asia if the opportunity develops.
“Last year 4,000 tonnes were produced in Europe, they’ve done storage trials overseas and it stores well for up to 12 months. We’ve done our own trials here to confirm and it has held up,” said Barolli.
However, the focus is on the domestic market for now as volumes build. Barolli also plans to develop some processed products such as apple juice to help build brand awareness.
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