With new varieties readily available, growing tiny crab apples isn’t your only option, prairie-dwellers! In 2008, the University of Saskatchewan released Prairie Sensation, an apple evolved to our prairie climate, and at roughly seven to nearly 8.5 cm in diameter, it’s no crab.
Though apple trees are largely grown as a hobby, with keen interest in apple ciders and ice wine growing, there may be a market for larger farms on the prairies.
“The cider market is a growing market,” said Rick Sawatzky of the University of Saskatchewan. “Lots of people with gluten sensitivities are preferring cider to beer.”
But how do Saskatchewan’s apples stack up to those grown for cider in British Columbia? And why is Saskatchewan so well-suited to apple ice wine?
In this video, taken at the recent Soils and Crops conference in Saskatoon, Sawatzky speaks about Prairie Sensation, its potential in these growing markets and how you can maximize the quality of an apple through a few simple management producers.
Please register to read and comment.