“An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away” may not be completely true, but apples are certainly nutritious and are arguably one of Britain’s favourite fruits.Our farms are very close to the start of the 2024 Apple Harvest, and will start with varieties such as Bramley cooking apples and other Red Dessert varieties for our Seasonal British lines.
The timing of harvest is key, not only to obtain the highest quality fruit but also to maximise the storage life potential. Each variety of apple has its own maturation time and is dependent upon weather conditions during the growing season. Apples will ripen earlier if there is a mild, sunny spring which kick starts the trees’ fruiting cycle early. Because of this, you should gauge harvest time through other indicators rather than a specific date on the calendar. Premature apple picking may lead to fruit that is sour, starchy, and generally unpalatable, while harvesting apples too late can result in soft and mushy fruit.
Storing apples as we do in the UK is a science – fruit should be picked when mature, yet hard, with a mature skin color but a hard flesh. These are placed in CA stores (Controlled Atmosphere), to stop the maturing process until such time they are needed. They can store for a number of months after harvest in this manor, allowing the apple to continue the maturing process once released from the stores so it tastes as fresh as the day it was picked.
The crop is looking good for the season ahead. Some varieties look to be producing larger sizes but there should be plenty to keep us going well into spring next year on most varieties for our customers. “
