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National Sugarbee® Apple Day

Imagine biting into an apple so crisp and sweet it feels like nature's candy. That's the SugarBee® apple, a delightful result of a honeybee's chance encounter between a Honeycrisp blossom and an unknown apple variety.

Dessert Food & Drink Fruit62

Marketing angleinferred

Drive May apple sales and brand awareness by positioning SugarBee® as a premium, naturally-sweet variety through tasting events, recipe content, and orchard experiences.

Relevance 62high intent

Host a SugarBee® tasting party—compare sweetness and crunch against other premium varieties
Share easy SugarBee® recipes (pies, crisps, savory dishes) that highlight natural honeyed flavor
Promote local orchard visits and apple-picking experiences in May
User-generated content campaign: #SugarBeeAppleDay photos of tastings, crafts, and farm visits

History

National SugarBee® Apple Day buzzed into existence in 2023, thanks to a collaboration between National Day Calendar® and SugarBee® Apples.

This day celebrates the unique SugarBee® apple, a delightful result of nature’s handiwork. The apple originated from a chance cross-pollination between a Honeycrisp blossom and an unknown variety, orchestrated by a busy honeybee.

The journey of the SugarBee® apple began in the early 1990s when Minnesota orchardist Chuck Nystrom discovered this new variety in his orchard.

Recognizing its potential, growers in Washington State embraced the apple, leading to its commercial availability in 2016. National SugarBee® Apple Day serves as a sweet reminder of the serendipitous events that bring such delicious fruits to our tables.

How to celebrate

Host a SugarBee® Apple Tasting Party

Gather friends and family for a tasting event. Slice up SugarBee® apples alongside other varieties like Honeycrisp or Fuji. Compare flavors, textures, and sweetness levels. This fun activity can spark lively discussions and perhaps reveal new favorite apples.

Create Delectable Apple Dishes

Unleash your inner chef by incorporating SugarBee® apples into various recipes. Their natural sweetness and firm texture make them perfect for pies, crisps, or even savory dishes like apple-stuffed pork chops. Experimenting in the kitchen can lead to delicious discoveries.

Craft with Apple Prints

Engage in a creative project by making apple stamp art. Cut SugarBee® apples in half, dip them in paint, and press onto paper or fabric to create unique patterns. This activity is enjoyable for all ages and adds a fruity flair to your artwork.

Visit a Local Orchard

Take a trip to a nearby orchard that grows SugarBee® apples. Experience apple picking firsthand, learn about the cultivation process, and enjoy the fresh air. It’s a wholesome way to connect with nature and support local agriculture.

Share Your Experience Online

Join the broader celebration by sharing your SugarBee® apple adventures on social media. Post photos of your tasting party, recipes, or crafts using the hashtag #SugarBeeAppleDay. Connecting with fellow enthusiasts can enhance the festive spirit.

FAQ

What makes SugarBee-style apples different from other sweet apple varieties?

SugarBee-type apples tend to combine very high sugar content with a firm, dense texture and pronounced juiciness. Growers describe them as having a honeyed flavor that is sweeter than many common dessert apples while still holding a crisp bite instead of becoming mealy. This balance of sweetness, acidity, crunch, and juice is what sets modern “Honeycrisp-descended” apples apart from older sweet varieties that were often softer or less complex in flavor.

Why do apples like SugarBee and Honeycrisp stay so crisp compared with older apples?

Modern crisp apples often have unusually large and abundant cells in their flesh. When someone bites into the apple, those cells burst and release juice, which feels like a loud, snappy crunch. Researchers have found that Honeycrisp’s texture is linked to its genetic makeup and specific cell structure, which breeders now try to reproduce in new varieties with similar crunch and juiciness. Proper storage temperature and humidity also help maintain that crisp texture after harvest.

How does a chance bee pollination lead to a completely new apple variety?

Each apple seed is the result of cross-pollination between two parent trees, usually carried by bees. When pollen from one variety lands on the flower of another, the seeds in that fruit contain new genetic combinations. If a grower plants those seeds, every resulting tree is genetically unique. Once an especially promising seedling is found, it is propagated by grafting so that all future trees of that variety are clones of the original “chance” seedling rather than grown from seed again.

Why are apples that come from bee-pollinated crosses always grafted instead of grown from seed?

Apples do not grow “true to seed,” which means seeds from a good-tasting fruit will almost always produce trees with very different, often inferior fruit. To preserve a successful new apple, orchardists take cuttings from the original tree and graft them onto rootstocks. Grafting keeps the exact genetics of the new variety while allowing growers to choose rootstocks that control tree size, cold hardiness, and disease resistance. This is why an entire commercial planting of a named apple variety is made up of clones of the same original tree.

Are very sweet apples always the best choice for baking and cooking?

Very sweet, crisp apples are popular for fresh eating, but they are not always ideal for every recipe. In pies and crisps, bakers usually want a balance of sweetness and tartness, along with flesh that holds its shape in the oven. Many dessert-type apples work well in baking when combined with more tart or aromatic varieties or when sugar in a recipe is reduced to avoid an overly sweet result. Texture matters as much as flavor, since softer apples can break down into sauce while firmer types keep distinct slices.

How should crisp, sweet apples be stored to keep their flavor and texture as long as possible?

Most dessert apples keep best when stored as cold as possible without freezing, ideally just above 32 °F (0 °C) with high humidity and good air circulation. At home, that typically means the refrigerator crisper drawer in a perforated plastic bag. Warm kitchen temperatures speed up ripening and water loss, which can make even very crisp apples turn rubbery. Commercial growers often use controlled-atmosphere storage with reduced oxygen to slow aging and preserve crunch and aroma for many months.

Do pollinator-friendly practices in orchards really affect apple quality and yield?

Studies in commercial orchards show that strong pollination from honey bees and wild bees can improve both the number of apples produced and the proportion that meet higher market grades. Good pollination tends to result in better fruit shape and more even seed development, which can indirectly influence size and storage life. Growers support pollinators by providing bloom from other plants, limiting insecticide use during flowering, and maintaining habitat near orchards, which benefits both yields and overall orchard biodiversity.