A Sampling of Consumer Retail Apple Apple Prices

 

Apple Price in 2024: Typical Pick Your Own and Already Harvested Apple prices!

 

Overall

Never, in my life, have I seen such absurdly high apple prices.  2024 prices are up again over last year, and 2023 was up 30% over 2022, despite it being an excellent year for the apple harvest

Most areas are reporting a basline price of $30 per bushel - IF you can fibnd it.  That's the lower limit.  Many apples are in the $45 to $55 per bushel range.

If it is any consolation, the overall quality of the apple criop looks excellent this year.

Pick your own:Apple Prices by Variety

The prices for pick your own apples vary ENORMOUSLY throughout North America. It tends to be highest closer to urban areas, and especially in states that have higher taxes and costs overall, like the northeast and west coast.  Here are a few local prices as reported.

 

GA - Georgia

  • State farmer's market in Forest Park: $40 to $80 per bushel (42 lbs per bushel
  • Average apple orchard PYO prices:$15 per half-peck of apples (that's 5 to 7 lbs)

NC - 2024 Average PYO prices at North Carolina orchards are

  • $45/bushel,
  • $30 per half bushel,
  • $18/per peck

PA - 2024 -

  • Masonic Village Farm Market -  Elizabethtown, PA 1
    2020 prices were PYO Apple Price: $1.00 per pound, PYO Pumpkin Price: $.65 per pound, PYO Peach Price: $1.25 per pound,
  • Flinchbaugh's Orchard
    small $9 each | 7-8lb bag
    large $15 each | 12-15lb bag

Already Picked:

2024: Apple prices at farm markets range from $30 to $80 per bushel. I'd estimate $45 to $55 for an average price.

It varies considerably by variety.  More popular varieties like Honeycrisp are at the high end, red delicious is at the low end. 

The chart at right or above from the USDA dates to 2018, but it gives a good idea of how the apple prices vary by variety.

A "40 lb box" means bushel.

The 2024 median price is most likely around $50 per bushel (42 lbs) in most areas of the U.S.

 

Weights and Approximate Typical Processed Yields of Apples

If you have this much fresh apples:

You should get this much...

Commonly made products

Canned or frozen (quarts)
Canned or frozen (pints)
1 bushel
(42-48 lbs)
(85 to 95 apples)
1 bushel = 12 to 15 qt. canned applesauce (no sugar added), 14 - 18 with sugar

1 bushel = 10 to 12 qt. juice

12 - 16 quarts
28 - 36 pints
3 lbs.
1 quart applesauce
1 quart
2 pints
8 medium apples = 2.25 lbs 1 nine-inch apple pie
or
3 cups of applesauce
1 peck = 10 to 14 lbs 1 peck makes = 3 or 4.5 qts. canned applesauce (no sugar added), 3.3 to 5.5 with sugar

1 peck makes 2.5 to 3.5 qt. juice

3 or 4.5 qts. canned applesauce
1/2 peck = 5 to 7 lbs Eat them fresh.  Too few to make anything    


Apple Festivals

 

You may find these pages useful:

For other fruit and vegetable festivals, see this page!

For an excellent article about apple cider from Mother Earth News, click here.

________________________________________________________