Gala
Available as:
Stemilt & Artisan Organics
Facts of Interest: The Gala apple was discovered by New Zealand orchardist J.H. Kidd in the 1920's. It was introduced to the commercial market in New Zealand in 1965. Gala didn’t make its way into the U.S. market until the middle 1980's, but since then it has become a favorite of American consumers.
A cross between Cox’s Orange Pippin, an old English favorite, and Golden Delicious, some strains of Gala also have Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Cox’s Orange Pippin in their family tree.
Gala is a sweet, snappy, aromatic apple that is usually red-and-yellow striped. High-quality Washington Gala apples will be solid and heavy, rather than soft and light. The variety ripens in August in Washington, and is one of the earliest-ripening apples available from the state.
Characteristics
Appearance:
Pale golden yellow with red stripes or blush
Texture & Firmness:
Firm and crisp
Internal Character:
Yellow to cream
Flavor:
Bouquet of easy-going sweet flavors
Shape:
Generally round
Size:
Small to medium
Uses:
Excellent for fresh eating, salads and sauce; Very good for pies, baking & freezing
Artisan Organics is Stemilt’s banner for organic tree fruits. This label adorns all packaging and price look-up (PLU) stickers on Stemilt’s organic apples, pears, cherries and stone fruits.
Stemilt began major investments in organic tree fruit production back in 1989. At the time, farming organically on a large-scale was unheard of, since there were so few organic applications available. Despite the challenges, Stemilt founder Tom Mathison knew there was potential for organics in the marketplace and continued preparing Stemilt for future growth.
Because of Tom’s foresight, Stemilt gradually increased its organic presence, and today, is one of the nation’s leading shippers of organic tree fruits. Try Artisan Organics for a unique flavor experience that only natural farming methods can deliver!
Check out our Organic Leader page to learn more about what makes Stemilt a standout in the organic field!
Check out our Organic Leader page to learn more about what makes Stemilt a standout in the organic field!
Stemilt’s World Famous apples are terrific for many reasons. The first is our area’s perfect conditions for producing apples. Central Washington is known for having sunny days, cool nights, plentiful water and nutrient-rich soils – all things that apples need to develop the perfect shape, color and flavor.
Our rich farming heritage means that Stemilt apples are produced by generations of apple experts that understand how to grow different varieties and strains. Finally, endless quality checks by our growers and field staff ensures that every apple meets Stemilt’s strict quality expectations.