Just a reminder that one of Seattle’s premier cider events takes place this Saturday. See our post about this year’s PNWCA Cider Festival.
On that note… Kim and I planted a baby apple tree in the front yard a few years ago. The first year, it didn’t produce much of anything. The second year, it produced 70 beautiful and delicious Honey Crisp apples. One little tree, still a baby really, produced that many apples.
If you’ve ever had productive fruit trees in your yard, you know the problem; they produce more fruit than you can possibly eat. So what do you do with all those leftover apples, plums or pears? Feed your neighbors, that’s what.
City Fruit is a local non-profit organization dedicated to getting urban-grown fruit to people who need food. To help save Seattle’s apples, Seattle Cider Company partnered with Whole Foods and City Fruit. On June 29th, a very special cider from Seattle Cider Company hits the shelves to raise funds and awareness for City Fruit’s Save Seattle’s Apples campaign.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
“We donate a large portion of the fruit we collect to food banks, but in previous years, fruit with blemishes or small markings was just being composted,” said City Fruit Executive Director Catherine Morrison. “We’re thrilled to have found a way to put these apples to great use, and have a delicious product to help support and celebrate Seattle’s urban harvest as a result.”
In 2014, 32 percent of Seattle’s urban fruit crop was composted after harvest. In 2015, thanks to the new partnership with Seattle Cider Company, that number was reduced to just eight percent. During harvest, as fruit was collected and sorted, apples unable to be used by food banks were dropped off at Seattle Cider Company and pressed. The result is a delightfully tart and tannic cider offering 6.3 percent ABV and just 1 Brix (measurement of residual sweetness), made from more than 40 apple varieties.
On June 29th Seattle Cider Company’s City Fruit cider hits the shelves at all Seattle-area Whole Foods Market locations. Half of the proceeds from every bottle sold will go directly to City Fruit to support their annual harvest and help save Seattle’s apples.
“This cider provides an amazing opportunity for us and cider lovers to give back to our community, and support City Fruit’s efforts. This is a one-of-a-kind cider both for how it’s made and the partnership it has created, and we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Caitlin Braam, president of Seattle Cider Company.
With only 140 cases produced, City Fruit cider will be available for a limited time at all Seattle Whole Foods locations for $12.99 a bottle beginning June 29.
“Our team members are part of the local community and they are passionate about supporting the non profit organizations and causes that are important to our shoppers and neighbors,” added Susan Livingston, Executive Marketing Coordinator at Whole Foods Market. “This is a terrific partnership with lots of potential for future collaboration.”
City Fruit’s Save Seattle’s Apples campaign is geared toward building awareness about Seattle’s urban canopy, the proper care and management of apples trees, and providing opportunities for the public to protect apples. Efforts are underway to cover and protect more than 20,000 apples throughout the city of Seattle. For more information and to learn how you can get involved, visit cityfruit.org.
Cheers to our sponsors, like…
