February is Apple Month

Quinoa salad with chickpeas, feta and apples, by Julie Van Rosendaal

Kelowna, B.C. – This February B.C. Tree Fruits, the largest shipper of local apples in Canada, is celebrating Apple Month.

As part of the celebration, the fruit co-operative has teamed with some of Western Canada’s top chefs, nutritionists and food writers to present the Great Apple Month Taste Off, featuring nine original apple-inspired recipes.

Consumers are encouraged to visit www.applemonth.com to view the nine recipes and vote for the one they feel is the most taste-tempting and best showcases apples. Each voter is entered into a draw for a luxury Okanagan getaway for two at The Cove Lakeside Resort in B.C. Meanwhile, the creator of the winning recipe will win $1,000 for the charity of their choice.

Throughout the month retailers will feature additional displays of B.C. Tree Fruits apples currently available, including Ambrosia, Royal Gala, Spartan, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Fuji.

“Apple Month is an initiative that dates back to the early 1960s as a way to celebrate and promote locally grown fruit,” says Chris Pollock, marketing manager for B.C. Tree Fruit. “We are thrilled to engage such talented food leaders in the 2014 Apple Month campaign, which will only strengthen our goals of educating consumers to buy local.”