You Will Soon Enjoy Lady Alice

by Jennifer Thomas

One of the hottest new apples in the marketplace is now arriving for the first time this season to grocery stores across America. The Rainier Fruit Company is delivering the largest shipment yet of an apple that literally came to life as a chance seedling in its orchards in Eastern Washington. The Lady Alice brand apple is arriving in stores this week to consumers coast to coast.

Lady Alice is available now through May, or while supplies last at many major and independent grocery retailers.  Production of this apple has increased since its limited introduction just three years ago as its appeal with consumers has taken off.  

The rarity of a chance seedling creating an apple that is quickly becoming a national favorite is a story in itself. It was discovered quite by chance on a farm near Gleed, Washington in 1978 when a grower accidentally cut an apple tree with his farm equipment. A chance seedling grew from the base and over the next 25 years, steps were taken to preserve and propagate the distinctive characteristics of the Lady Alice.  The Lady Alice brand apple is named after Alice Zirkle, the co-founder of Rainier Fruit Company in honor of her memory.

“The Lady Alice apple is a welcome addition for consumers who love apples and are looking for something new in the late winter and spring. It’s delicious sweet bite offers a hint of tartness that lingers on the palate,” said Suzanne Wolter, director of marketing for Rainier.

What you will really love is Lady Alice’s flavor and cooking qualities. The heirloom-like Lady Alice apple is similar to a fine wine – flavorful and complex. The apples are harvested in the fall, stored and sold to consumers at their flavor peak. They are characterized by a banana-yellow color and sweet, crisp, dense flesh with a hint of tartness.  The density of the apple leaves those who eat them feeling satisfyingly filled after enjoying one.