SugarBee

{{Short description|Apple variety}}{{Infobox cultivar

| image = The SugarBee Apple now grown in Washington State.jpg

| name = SugarBee

| hybrid = Honeycrisp × unknown

| origin = {{flagicon|USA}} Worthington, Minnesota, 1990s

| species = Malus domestica

| variety =

| cultivar = B51 or CN121

| marketing_names = SugarBee

}}

SugarBee (B51 or CN121{{cite news |last1=Warner |first1=Geraldine |title=Apple varieties from A to Z |url=http://www.goodfruit.com/new-apple-varieties-from-a-to-z/ |access-date=7 July 2017 |publisher=Good Fruit Grower |issue=June 2015}}) is a cultivated variety or cultivar of apple discovered by Chuck Nystrom in the early 1990s at his orchard in Worthington, Minnesota.{{Cite news |last=Moural |first=Hope |date=September 6, 2024 |title=Ocheda Orchard helps bring SugarBee apples to local school students |url=https://www.dglobe.com/news/local/ocheda-orchard-helps-bring-sugarbee-apples-to-local-school-students |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=The Globe |location=Worthington, Minnesota}} Believed to be a hybrid between a Honeycrisp and another, unknown variety,{{Cite web|last=Grower|first=Good Fruit|title=SugarBee causes a buzz|url=https://www.goodfruit.com/sugarbee-causes-a-buzz/|access-date=2020-07-03|website=Good Fruit Grower|date=28 December 2015 |language=en-US}} it is named in recognition of the role played by bees in open pollination, making the variety possible.{{Cite web |title=SugarBee® Apples |url=https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/sugarbee_apples_18673.php |access-date=February 21, 2025 |website=Specialty Produce}} It was brought to market in 2016.{{Cite news |last=Allen |first=Anne |date=May 8, 2024 |title=SugarBee® Apple Variety Promises Year-Round Availability |url=https://www.andnowuknow.com/buyside-news/sugarbeer-apple-variety-promises-year-round-availability/anne-allen/89701 |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=And Now You Know}} This apple variety is harvested in the fall and is suitable for snacking, baking, apple butter, cooking, juicing, apple sauce, and salads.{{Cite web |title=SugarBee |url=https://waapple.org/varieties/sugarbee/ |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=Washington Apples}}{{Cite news |last=Hutsenpiller |first=Nathan |date=October 6, 2024 |title=The Apples I Crave All Year Are Finally Back at Trader Joe's—They're My Favorite |url=https://www.aol.com/apples-crave-finally-back-trader-100200719.html?guccounter=1 |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=AOL}} Like its parent variety, the Honeycrisp, the SugarBee is a sweet and crisp apple, but is capable of lasting much longer in controlled-atmosphere storage. Its flavor is similar to caramel and molasses. It is initially available from October to May, but since 2024, efforts have been made to ensure that SugarBee apples are available all year round.

SugarBee propagation rights are held by Regal Fruit International and licensed to Gebbers Farms and the Chelan Fruit Cooperative in Washington State to produce the variety in the United States.