{"id":499085,"date":"2026-10-17T09:10:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T09:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/499085\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T09:10:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T09:10:35","slug":"central-valley-ca-apples-2026-harvest-varieties-u-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/499085\/","title":{"rendered":"Central Valley CA apples: 2026 harvest, varieties & u-pick"},"content":{"rendered":"

California\u2019s apple harvest<\/a> is well underway, offering consumers fresh, local varieties and U-pick options<\/p>\n

California is the nation\u2019s fifth-largest apple producer, producing 1.5 million boxes of fruit and generating more than $105 million each year, according to the Fresno-based California Apple Commission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Golden State is also the second-largest exporter of apples<\/a> in the United States, the commission said.<\/p>\n

Although 75% of apples are shipped to domestic destinations, California growers expert apples to more than 27 countries, including Canada, Malaysia, Mexico and Taiwan.<\/p>\n

However, the state\u2019s apple harvest faces significant challenges, ranging from unpredictable weather patterns to rising fuel prices.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what shoppers should know:<\/p>\n

\"Apple Apple orchards are seen on the hill top at The Orchard at Meadow Lakes located along Auberry Road between Auberry and Shaver Lake Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 near Auberry. The Orchard at Meadow Lakes offers you-pick apples. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com How did weather impact California apple harvest?<\/p>\n

California\u2019s apple season \u201cstarted a little earlier this year than normal\u201d in 2026, according to California Apple Commission executive director Todd Sanders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTypically, our harvest begins in mid-July, but this year we got started a bit earlier due to the warm weather in the spring,\u201d Sanders told The Fresno Bee via phone, kicking off three weeks sooner than usual.<\/p>\n

Sanders said freezing temperatures in February and warmer spring weather adversely affected the harvest.<\/p>\n

San Joaquin Valley farmer Jeff Colombini agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, we were abnormally warm during bloom. When it\u2019s too warm, the flowers don\u2019t live very long,\u201d said Colombini, who has grown Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples in Lodi for the past four decades. \u201cA lot of the flowers didn\u2019t have a chance to get pollinated because apple flowers require bees. As a result, the crop was lighter than normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of harvesting Gala apples in late July or early August, \u201cWe picked everything in July,\u201d the grower said.<\/p>\n

Overall in California, \u201cOur volume was down by about 25 to 30%,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the reduction in quantity, the fruit quality has been exceptional,\u201d the said. \u201cThe sweetness, firmness and finish are outstanding this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Children Children on a school tour play on a tractor at The Orchard at Meadow Lakes near Auberry, which offers you-pick apple orchards. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com Are high diesel prices hurting apple farmers?<\/p>\n

According to Sanders, high fuel prices are hurting the entire agriculture industry in California, including apple growers.<\/p>\n

In California, the average cost of a gallon of diesel hit $8.44 per gallon in September, setting a new record<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As of Wednesday, Oct. 14, diesel cost<\/a> $8.41 a gallon on average across California, according to AAA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re shipping apples from one location to another, they obviously go by truck, and diesel prices have impacted that,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n

High electricity bills have also \u201cdriven up costs because we pump water to irrigate,\u201d he said. \u201cCombined with high diesel prices, it is having a significant impact on our profitability this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Leigh Leigh Ann Spitzer from Clovis picks Red Fuji apples at The Orchard at Meadow Lakes near Auberry. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com How long will local orchards stay open for apple season?<\/p>\n

Farm stands and U-pick orchards typically open their gates in early August and remain operational through late November, according to the California Apple Commission.<\/p>\n

This provides locals with seasonal recreation and fresh farm produce through the Thanksgiving holiday, the industry group said.<\/p>\n

\"Pink Pink Lady apples are among the varieties grown in California\u2019s Central Valley. Courtesy photo What are the most popular apple varieties in California?<\/p>\n

California orchards grow nearly 7,000 varieties of apples, according to the California Apple Commission.<\/p>\n

Gala apples<\/a> lead production figures statewide followed by Granny Smith<\/a>, Fuji<\/a> and Pink Lady<\/a> apples, according to the commission.<\/p>\n

All are grown at the roughly 80 commercial farms in the Central Valley.<\/p>\n

Sanders emphasized \u201cthe importance of looking for California-grown apples, as they guarantee freshness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile our varieties mirror those from other regions, our growers focus entirely on fresh shipments without long-term storage, guaranteeing a 100% fresh product from orchard to consumer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"EF\"\/ From left, Aleccia Garrido, 6; Kjera Schack, 10, and Natalie Azevedo, 9, stop at J & S Ramos Farms of Hughson’s fruit and vegetable stand to sample wedges of Pink Lady apples in November 2012. Elias Funez The Modesto Bee Which apples can I find in late fall and winter?<\/p>\n

Late fall brings several specialty varieties to consumer markets.<\/p>\n

One prominent example is the Modi apple<\/a>, a crisp, eco-friendly cultivar originally developed in Italy and exclusively grown in California.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a very good apple,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n

Other apple varieties worth checking out include Wildfire Gala, Fuji and Pink Lady.<\/p>\n

\u201cPink Lady is my favorite apple,\u201d Colombini said. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice blend of sweet and tart, and it\u2019s also the best variety for apple pies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A family walks past orchards at The Orchard at Meadow Lakes near Auberry. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com Where can I pick my own apples in the Fresno area?<\/p>\n

According to Yelp, these were the best u-pick apple farms<\/a> in the Fresno area as of October 2026:<\/p>\n

Simonian Farms,<\/a> FresnoMountain Brook Ranch<\/a>, ClovisSunshine\u2019s Farm<\/a>, FresnoMeadow Lakes Apple<\/a>, AuberryMasumoto Family Farm<\/a>, Del ReyHome Grown Cellars<\/a>, MaderaArnett Farms<\/a>, FresnoBlossom Trail Fruit Stand<\/a>, SangerSweet Thistle Farms<\/a>, ClovisSierra Cider<\/a>, Mariposa<\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Gagandeep Singh<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Gagandeep Singh is a service journalism reporter for The Fresno Bee. He holds a master\u2019s degree in politics and global affairs from Columbia University. Prior to working at The Bee, he worked as a freelancer for CalMatters, BBC News and the Los Angeles Times. He focuses on migration, education, criminal justice and the South Asian diaspora in California.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California\u2019s apple harvest is well underway, offering consumers fresh, local varieties and U-pick options California is the nation\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":499086,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[112,114,113],"class_list":["post-499085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fresno","tag-fresno","tag-fresno-headlines","tag-fresno-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=499085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/499086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=499085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=499085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=499085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}