Southwest Michigan apple maturity report – September 16, 2025
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EmailApple harvest in southwest Michigan is moving rapidly, with many Empire, Jonagolds and Golden Delicious fruits at or very near maturity.
This is our weekly southwest region apple maturity report. Reports are sent out following the Michigan State University Extension fruit team apple maturity calls on Wednesday morning. View Michigan State University (MSU) Extension’s Apple Maturity page for regional reports throughout the state and additional resources.
Overview
Commercial apple harvesting for Macintosh, Gala and Honeycrisp varieties is nearly done, with favorable picking conditions and rapid ripening throughout southwestern Michigan. Empires, Jonagolds and Golden Delicious varieties are at or near maturity depending on farm location. Blocks with light crop loads will mature three or four days sooner than the predicted harvest dates while heavy crop loads will mature up to a week later than the predicted dates.
The Michigan apple crop forecast for 2025 is above average at 30 million bushels, as given in the USApple Crop Outlook on Aug. 15. The following tables give a summary for select varieties that are currently nearing harvest sampled from three orchards in Berrien County.
Honeycrisp
Honeycrisp matured quicker than expected over the past couple weeks due to the mild weather, which is favored by the variety. Many blocks are already harvested and starch values have been highly variable with many blocks maturing faster than predicted dates. This has been observed in other areas of the state as well. See “Comprehensive Honeycrisp harvest and storage recommendations” by Michigan State University (MSU) researcher Randy Beaudry for Honeycrisp harvest and storage recommendations.
Bitter pit development on fruit has been observed in some locations. Fruit that are high risk or are more susceptible to bitter pit development may be in blocks with younger trees, high-risk rootstocks, high-vigor trees or low crop loads. Large fruit are also more susceptible to bitter pit development than small fruit. High bitter pit-risk fruit should be cooled quickly to the recommended 38 degrees Fahrenheit storage temperature, as conditioning will exacerbate bitter pit. High risk fruit should be marketed as soon as possible. Fruit intended for longer storage should be pre-conditioned, with recommended conditions of 50 F (room temperature) for five to seven days.
Empire
Empires are at or very near full maturity, and early picking for taffy apples has already begun in some locations. This variety is averaging 3.1 for the starch test, very near the mature starch threshold of 3.5. The current average firmness reading is 17.5 pounds compared to the desired minimum firmness for long-term controlled atmosphere (CA) storage of 16 lbs.
|
Collection Date |
Red Color (%) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (Brix) |
|
Sep. 15 |
87 (65-100) |
17.5 (14.5-22.5) |
3.1 (2-4) |
11 |
*Starch values according to the 1-8 scale developed by Cornell University.
Jonagold
Jonagold are at or very near full maturity, slightly earlier than anticipated. Sampled fruits currently at an average of 4.6 for the starch test—the mature starch threshold for fresh market is 3.5. The current average firmness reading is 16.3 pounds, which is the desired minimum firmness for mid-term CA storage. Plant growth regulator applications, such as Retain, were applied the week of Aug. 18 in the some of the sampled Jonagolds.
|
Collection Date |
Red Color (%) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (Brix) |
|
Sep. 15 |
41 (15-90) |
16.3 (13.5-19) |
4.6 (3-7) |
12.6 |
*Starch values according to the 1-8 scale developed by Cornell University.
Golden Delicious
This variety is averaging 3.7 for the starch test, which is considered at the mature threshold. The current average firmness reading is 16.2 pounds, which is at the desired minimum firmness for mid-term CA storage. This variety is ripening faster than the predicted peak harvest date of Sept. 16 for central Berrien County. Retain applications made in some sampled blocks on Sept. 8.
|
Collection Date |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (Brix) |
|
Sep. 15 |
16.2 (15-17.5) |
3.7 (3-5) |
14.7 |
*Starch values according to the 1-8 scale developed by Cornell University.
Fuji
This variety is averaging 1.7 for the starch test—the mature starch threshold for fresh market is 3. The current average firmness reading is 21.1 pounds, the desired minimum firmness for long-term CA storage is 18 pounds. The predicted peak harvest date for central Berrien County was Sept. 16, but current data suggests fruit aren’t quite mature. Picking can be delayed waiting for better size, blush and brix.
|
Collection Date |
Red Color (%) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (Brix) |
|
Sep. 15 |
54 (10-100) |
21.1 (19-24.5) |
1.7 (1-3) |
11.9 (11.6-12.3) |
*Starch values according to the 1-8 scale developed by Cornell University.
Ida Reds
This variety is averaging 2.2 for the starch test—the mature starch threshold for fresh market is 3.5. The current average firmness reading is 16.1 pounds, which is at the desired minimum firmness for long-term CA storage. The predicted peak harvest date for central Berrien County is Oct. 1, about a week ahead of historical norms.
|
Collection Date |
Red Color (%) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (Brix) |
|
Sep. 15 |
63.5 (10-100) |
16.1 (13.5-17.5) |
2.2 (1-3) |
11.8 |
*Starch values according to the 1-8 scale developed by Cornell University.
Apple maturity sampling parameters
- Color % = the visual percentage of red color (blush) from 0 to 100; range shown is for the orchard averages.
- Firmness in lbs pressure, skin off, as measured with a FT Penetrometer; range is for the site averages.
- Starch: 1 = all starch (solid blue staining), 8 = no starch (white); range is for the site averages. Starch Iodine Index Chart.
- Brix = % sugar measured with Atago PAL-1 Pocket Refractometer
|
Suggested firmness and starch index levels for long-term and shorter-term controlled atmosphere (CA) storage by variety. |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Variety |
Firmness (lbs)* |
Starch Index* |
|||
|
Short CA |
Mid-CA |
Long CA |
Mature |
Over mature |
|
|
McIntosh |
14 |
15 |
16 |
5 |
7 |
|
Gala |
16 |
17 |
18 |
3 |
6 |
|
Honeycrisp |
15 |
16 |
17 |
3.5 |
7 |
|
Empire |
14 |
15 |
16 |
3.5 |
6 |
|
Early Fuji |
16 |
17 |
18 |
3 |
7 |
|
Jonagold |
15 |
16 |
17 |
3.5 |
5.5 |
|
Jonathan |
14 |
15 |
16 |
3.5 |
5.5 |
|
Golden Delicious |
15 |
16 |
17 |
3 |
6.5 |
|
Red Delicious |
16 |
17 |
18 |
2.5 |
6 |
|
Idared |
14 |
15 |
16 |
3.5 |
6 |
|
Fuji |
16 |
17 |
18 |
3 |
7 |
|
Rome |
15 |
16 |
18 |
3 |
5.5 |
|
Braeburn |
16 |
17 |
18 |
2.5 |
7 |
See the following helpful resources for more information:
- More information on harvest management tools and timings from MSU Extension.
- Post harvest treatments to extend apple life.
- Guidelines from MSU Extension to check for apple maturity in your own orchard, including specific pressure and starch recommendations by variety.
- Predicting apple maturity and starch chart from Cornell University.