Apple country South Tyrol

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RUSSIA Kazakhstan

EUROPE

Original type of Apple

Athens

kR

ou

Uzbekistan

Mongolia

Turkmenistan

Baghdad

Gobi Desert

ALMATY

Manchuria

Kyrgyzstan

te

Mediterranean Sea

Lake Balkash

Aral Sea

Pamir

ea

Istanbul Sil

Kopet Dag

ian S

Black Sea

Rome

Casp

Apple are grafted

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Lake Baikal

Iran

Tian Shan

Tadzhikistan

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Silk Route

Lanzhou

CHINA

Afghanistan

Xi'an

INDIA

History of the apple tree The first apple trees evolved in Kazakhstan in central Asia. There, even today, there are still forests with original apple trees. The capital, Almaty, once Alma Ata, means the “father of apples” in the Kazakh language. Apple trees reached western Europe via the Silk Route, an ancient trade route between China and Greece. Ultimately, the Greeks cultivated and grafted the apple trees.

The apple tree in Europe The Romans took over the apple from the Greeks and distributed it throughout the lands they conquered. In the Middle Ages the cultivation of apples was practised mainly in monasteries. They preserved the varieties of apple and knowledge of fruit-growing in these turbulent times.

The beginnings in South Tyrol

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For many hundreds of years apple trees were planted around the farmstead for the use of the farmer’s family. These nurseries provided valuable foodstuff and enjoyed special legal protection. Apples were transported by horses and porters beyond the country’s borders. They took various local fruits north across the alpine passes on heavy wooden frames. The construction of the railway line across the Brenner in 1867 eased and promoted the export of apples. Then the apple was considered to be a luxury good and reached as far as the imperial courts of Vienna, Berlin and St. Petersburg. From 1880 – 1890 water was drained from the bottom of the valley by controlling the River Etsch/Adige and in this way useful cultivation land could be gained. At this time, fruit merchants set up the first storage facilities for their harvest. The first fruit cooperatives were established at the end of the 19th century in Burggrafenamt.

Recent history of fruit-growing Until the middle of the 19th century, there was no effective protection for fruit trees from diseases and damaging insects and animals. Starting from the 1920’s were pesticides and technical innovations (tractors, high-pressure sprayers, mulchers, etc.) widely used. In place of fewer larger trees (seedlings) came modern palmettes and compact planting. The shape of the trees continued to become smaller and new kinds of apple (Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Morgenduft and Jonathan) were cultivated. The consortium AGRIOS (working group for integrated fruit growing in South Tyrol) for integrated cultivation was set up in 1988. By cultivating in an environmentallyfriendly fashion, an attempt was made to develop useful insects and use them as natural enemies of pests. In 2005, the trade mark South Tyrolean Apple PGI was officially recognised. This so-called protected geographical indication (PGI) guarantees the origin and quality of South Tyrol’s apples. Pests in fruit growing: Codling moths, aphids, a type of mite, kissing bugs, spiders, green lacewings, and so on.

Useful insects: ladybirds, leaf suckers, trichogramma wasps, titmice, apple blossom weevils, weasels and so on.

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Integrated cultivation

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Organic cultivation

Integrated cultivation uses nature’s powers of resistance, preserves useful insects and animals and furthers their number by targeted ecological measures.

In the 1980s, South Tyrol paved the way by applying organic principles to fruit growing. In doing so, two trends evolved:

96 per cent of fruit producers follow the directives of AGRIOS. There it is set out that fruit growers must have an agricultural training and undertake continuous professional development. They have to observe a strict choice of pesticides and only use them when the economic damage threshold has been reached.

a) Organic-biological cultivation. This works with methods in harmony with nature and rejects the use of chemical synthetic pesticides and fertilisers.

South Tyrol’s fruit growers have implemented the following ecological measures: > installing nesting boxes for useful hole-nesting birds, such as titmice, hoopoes and so on > spreading a ground network against maybugs > leaving piles of stones for hiding places for adversaries of field mice such as weasels and adders > using pheromons to confuse moths, such as the codling moth, so that they cannot mate. Fertilisation is effected in accordance with the results of a soil analysis. Fruit growers do not use herbicides that could damage the soil.

b) Bio-dynamic cultivation. This method works according to the same principles. In addition to this, each measure is tested according to the teachings of Rudolf Steiner to see whether it fits into the integrated ecosystem. Furthermore, the influence the stars have on how plants thrive and the effectiveness of their tending strategies is observed. Organic-cultivation boosts closed cycles on the farm by use of in-house resources, such as organic fertilisers. In addition, organic-cultivation tries primarily to build up the natural powers of resistance and the plants’ own resistance to fungi and pests. A basic pre-condition is the right choice of location. Approximately 4 per cent of the overall apple harvest in South Tyrol comes from organic-production and the trend is upwards.

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Protected Geographical Indication PGI

STERZING

SOUTH TYROL Natz Schabs Riffian

c) the creation, processing and manufacture of a product has to take place within a selected geographical area d) cultivation takes place in accordance with the principles of integrated production or organic-cultivation e) high quality standards for size, colour, skin purity and sugar content are mandatory f) an independent board of control checks compliance with the regulations.

Terlan

BRUNECK

Pustertal

all kV ac Eis

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KLAUSEN

Unterinn

y

b) a syndicate must take over sponsorship, in this case Südtiroler Apfelkonsortium (South Tyrol’s apple consortium)

MERAN Lana

alle

a) clear, proven connection between origin, special quality and tradition of the product

Naturns

ch V

The following pre-conditions are essential in order to attain the Protected Geographical Indication:

Schlanders

Ets

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Schluderns

BRIXEN

ey

Vinschgau Valley

The Protected Geographical Indication is a seal of approval awarded by the EU. Since 2005, 13 different varieties of South Tyrolean apples have been meanwhile recognised EU-wide as a regional speciality and protected against imitation as well as improper usage. This seal of approval guarantees the originality and well-established manufacturing process of a product. The link between the creation and processing of the apple in its regional provenance of South Tyrol has also been documented.

Wipptal

BOZEN Eppan Kaltern

Leifers

Unterland Auer

Apple-producing regions

Salurn

Producing region With its 18,400 hectares South Tyrol is the largest closed producing region of the EU. It stretches from the 46th degree of latitude in approx. 100 km from Salurn (200 m above sea level) along the Etsch valley as far as Kortsch and Mals in Vinschgau Valley (1,100 m above sea level) and the high plateau of Ritten as well as Natz-Schabs. With more than 7,000 family-run farms apple production per unit is very small. The average size of farm is between 2.5 to 3 hectares. These areas are often split up over approx. three to five different parcels of land that can be located far apart. Fruit growing takes up about 2.5 per cent of the overall area of South Tyrol.

Climate

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South Tyrol is located on a sunny balcony on the southern side of the Alps. Climatically the Province is Mediterranean with hot summers and autumns and usually rain-laden springs. The fruit gains its special inner and outer quality from the 300 days and more than 2,000 hours of sun each year. The average 800 mm of rainfall annually provides a basic supply for fruit growing. If the summer months are very hot and dry, fruit producers will have to water their trees additionally. There is often a night frost in spring when the trees are blooming. If the temperature sinks below zero degrees Celsius, frost protection irrigation will be switched on so that the temperature does not sink to a level at which the buds and blooms could be damaged. The northerly, alpine continental climate is noticeable in the chilly nights of late summer and autumn. Warm daytime temperatures are followed by chilly autumn nights. They develop the unique red and yellow colours of the fruit and form additionally valuable sugar, flavouring compounds and vitamins in the fruit.

Harvest and storage From mid-August, the harvest begins down on the floor of the valley with the Gala apple and finishes with the late-ripening Pink Lady™ at the beginning of November. Auxiliary equipment used when harvesting in the traditional manner were “Loanen” (ladders), “Tschaggel” (bags for collecting apples) and “Steigen” (fruit crates). Since the 1970s, large boxes (with a capacity of approx. 320 kg) as well as fork-lift trucks and various auxiliary harvesting equipment (harvesting platforms, buckets for collecting apples and so on) have been in use. The large boxes are filled with the harvested apples and taken to the marketing company. These large boxes are stacked in cold storage where the air consistency is accurately regulated. Cold and a greatly reduced amount of oxygen bring apples to a preserving state of rest until they are taken out of cold storage. With this controlled atmosphere apples can be stored for eight months and remain as fresh as the day they were harvested. The apple harvest in figures: Total apple harvest: approx one million tons of this: Dessert fruit: Industrial produce: Organic produce:

85 % 11 % 4%

Depending on the year, South Tyrol’s apple harvest amounts to 10–12 % of the total EU production.

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Work in the winter months In the case of new trees, fruit growers prune long, surplus shoots near the treetop. Where the shoots are protruding too steeply they are tied back. In this way more fruit can accumulate. The surplus shoots are pruned from fruit-bearing trees and the old worn-out fruit-bearing branches are shortened in order to regenerate them. Young and fruit-bearing trees are cut in the shape of a Christmas tree. This structure allows for a favourable exposure to light that is crucial for a good quality of fruit and regular yields. In the winter, fruit growers continue their professional development by attending expert conferences, seminars and training courses. They also service their machinery and equipment.

Work in spring-time If fruit growers intend to plant new trees, they have to do this in spring. For that purpose they have to work and loosen the soil and plant young trees that have been grown in nurseries. These trees have to be fertilised so that from the beginning they will have sufficient nutrients. During the nights where there is a risk of frost, fruit growers will have to monitor the temperature by means of data from the meteorological stations and advisory services. If the temperature sinks below the critical zero degrees Celsius, they will have to switch on their frost protection irrigation. The freezing heat created by the formation of ice protects the tender apple blossoms from low temperatures. Bees pollinate the apple blossoms and cater for a highyield harvest. Before blossoming, fruit growers and beekeepers ensure that plenty of bees make their way into the fruit fields.

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Work during the summer Fruit growers remove surplus and damaged fruit by hand. In the event of drought, the trees will be irrigated with a spray or drop irrigation system. The grass around the apple trees will be cut and left to lie as it is an important source of nutrition for the micro organism in the soil. The fruit trees are checked regularly for pests and useful insects. Should they be needed, environmentally-friendly pesticides that do not harm the useful insects will be used selectively. If there are too many shoots on the apple tree, they will either be pruned or tied down.

Work in autumn In the autumn, fruit growers prepare for the harvest. They ensure that their equipment is in working order and collect the empty large boxes from the marketing company. Farmers are obliged to close their field-books and present them to the board of control. After the harvest, fruit growers take soil samples for analysis and fertilise their fields. If they are planning new layouts, the old trees will be cleared, the roots removed and the soil loosened.

Marketing

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The world of trademarks The trademark South Tyrolean Apple PGI is used by all of South Tyrol’s marketing companies for export especially in North- and Central Europe. It lends a uniform image in foreign markets, guarantees the geographical origin, traditional method of production and completely transparent traceability.

The largest producers’ organisation in South Tyrol is the Association of South Tyrol’s Fruit Cooperatives (VOG) with 17 member cooperatives. VOG looks after 5,200 member companies with an acreage of 10,800 hectares and an annual production of approx. 600,000 tons. The producers’ organisation of the Val Venosta Cooperatives Association (VI.P) markets pip, stone and soft fruit as well as vegetables. VI.P looks after 1,800 members with an acreage of 5,000 hectares and an annual production of about 300,000 tons of apples, 4,300 tons of vegetables and 950 tons of strawberries. The member cooperatives of both of these producers’ organisations control the manufacturing plant VOG Products. This produces mainly apple concentrate, deep frozen and dried pieces of apple and steamed apple. As an innovation in the sector of convenience foods ready-to-eat pieces of apple have been prepared in vacuum-packed bags. A small part of South Tyrol’s apple harvest (approx. 6 %) is publicly auctioned by three auctioneers (support association for fruit auctions in South Tyrol (FOS). 1 % is sold by the association of private traders, Fruttunion. Approximately half of the fruit production is marketed in Italy. Germany is the most important export market with approx. 30% of the export. The Scandinavia, Spain and the UK follow. There is a boom in exports to eastern European countries.

SÜ

DTIROL

The apple trademark Marlene® was launched in 1995 by VOG. It is used in the Italian and southern European markets. Marlene stands for an original variety of apple to suit every taste. It is committed to South Tyrol’s original fruit growing tradition and high quality. The symbol of the trademark Marlene is the likeable apple tree that personally hands over its fresh fruit to consumers. The Vinschgau/Val Venosta brand of apple is the trademark of the VI.P, Vinschgau Co-operatives Association. It bears witness to the origin of products from the Vinschgau, the exceptionally high quality of fruit grown in our mountains and the environmentally-friendly cultivation method. The Vinschgau/Val Venosta brand of apple is available in VI.P’s key markets. The club varieties Pink Lady®, Kanzi®, Rubens®, Modì® and Jazz® appear with their own trademarks.

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Grading and packaging

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After coming out of cold storage, the apples are graded according to size, colour, skin purity and damage. Before packaging they are washed in potable water and brushed. Various sizes of packages are available commercially. Smaller quantities are available in fruit bowls with four, six or eight apples. Larger amounts are available in bags of one to two kilogrammes and boxes of two to twelve kilogrammes of apples.

Storage at home Apples should be stored at home in a cool cellar or in the refrigerator. In winter they can be kept outdoors in a covered container. The storage time can be increased if the fruit is packed in airtight plastic bags. Apples should be kept for a maximum of ten days in a fruit bowl in the living room. Apples that have been cut should be eaten immediately or made use of. Apples should not be stored together with other fruit. They release ethylene that causes the surrounding fruit to mature more quickly.

Processing Apples can be processed into various products: Apple juice in a cloudy or clear format is high in mineral nutrients and vitamins. Mixed with mineral water “Apfelschorle” (apple cider) is a popular thirst-quencher. Apple wine is produced from apple juice. After fermentation this turns into cider vinegar that gives off fine aromas. In gastronomic circles cider vinegar counts as an invaluable, aromatic taste enhancer. Distillate is distilled from correctly sorted and various varieties of apples. Freshly cut pieces of apple are a novelty in the sector of convenience foods. The apples are cut and the cores removed. The slices are ready to eat and packed in a keep-fresh bag. Vitamin C keeps the product durable and it remains fresh for ten days. There are various options of dried fruit. It is a healthy snack for between meals.

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Ingredients Apples are the ideal occasional snack – whether at school or at work, on a journey or during sports intervals. 20

Most vitamins are immediately below the peel. For this reason apples should be eaten with the peel.

Apples are 85 % water and therefore have a thirst-quenching effect. They contain hardly any fat, but do contain many useful ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and secondary plant compounds. Its high vitamin C content should be emphasised. Its average content of 12 mg/100 g covers 15 % of your daily requirement. The vitamin C content varies according to the type of apple, how ripe it is, when it was harvested and how it has been stored. 100 g of apple provide 53 kilocalories. Almost all of this useful energy comes from fructose that can be digested very easily. The fructose reaches your muscles directly via your blood system and turns immediately into energy.

Nutritional information panel per 100 g Energy

53 kcals/222 kJ

Nutrients Protein Carbohydrate including fructose Fat Fibre Sodium Vitamin C

0,3 g 11,4 g 5,7 g 0,6 g 2g 3 mg 12 mg*

* corresponds to 15 % of daily requirements Source: Fachgruppe Obstbau im Bundesauschuss Obst und Gemüse, Deutschland, 1998; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung, 2008

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South Tyrolean apple strudel

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Ingredients for 1 strudel For the short-crust pastry: 400 g flour, 125 g sugar, 250 g butter, 1 egg, 1 sachet of baking powder, 1 sachet of vanilla sugar, grated lemon peel, 1 pinch of salt For the apple filling: 8 South Tyrolean apples, Golden Delicious or similar, 40 g raisins, 20 g pine nuts , 2 sachets of vanilla sugar, 40 g bread crumbs, 10 g sugar, 1 knife-tip of cinnamon, grated lemon peel, 20 ml rum, egg to coat, confectioner’s sugar to garnish The ingredients should be at room temperature. Coat the oven tray with butter and leave in a cold place. Mix well all the ingredients listed for the pastry, knead well and leave to rest in a cold place. Wash the apples, peel, core, quarter and cut into smaller pieces and mix with the other ingredients for the filling, Knead the pastry once again and roll out. Cut the pastry to fit the oven tray. Spread the apple filling lengthways along the centre of the pastry, lift the two edges to meet in the centre and coat with egg. Cut the remaining pastry into strips and use to decorate the strudel. Add another coating of egg and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180° C for 50-60 minutes.

Savoury apple chutney Ingredients for 4 250 ml jars 6 South Tyrolean apples, Golden Delicious or similar, 2 small sprigs of marjoram, 2 small sprigs of thyme, 100 g white onion, 1 T rapeseed oil, 400 g preserving sugar, 1–2 cloves of garlic, 300 ml white wine vinegar, 100 ml apple vinegar, 80 g raisins, salt, 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Make a little bunch of the sprigs of marjoram and thyme. Peel the onion and chop finely. Sweat in a little oil, add peeled, cored and chopped apple, the herb sprigs, preserving sugar and peeled and pressed garlic. Mix well. Add the two types of vinegar with 150 ml of water, reduce slowly while stirring occasionally. Add the raisins after approx. 5 minutes and continue simmering for a further 15 minutes. Remove the herbs, season the chutney with salt and nutmeg and fill into pre-heated jars while still hot, seal with clean lids and turn the jars upside down briefly. This chutney is delicious with goat’s or sheep’s milk cheese and cheeseboards in general. Reciepe by Karin Longariva

NB: t = teaspoon; T = tablespoon

Tip: this short crust pastry can be used to bake a variety of biscuits, mixing in cocoa, nuts, coconut flakes etc. Reciepe by Waltraud Werdaner, Val Gardena

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How to prune trees

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Apple trees should be pruned mainly in winter. In this way the growth of shoots should be preserved and the trees retain their shape. If growth has to be slowed, it is advisable to prune surplus shoots and shoots that are too long (over 40–50 cm) in the second half of summer.

> prune shoots that are too low down the trunk (below 50 cm)

Young trees

Fruit-bearing trees

> strive for a spindle-shaped tree (such as the Christmas tree) as it exploits light very well

> keep treetops thin

> prune long shoots at the top of tree > tie down weak shoots (less than 40 cm long)

> prune shoots too close together on trunk > leave weak fruit-bearing shoots

> prune well-worn and old branches > thin out sections of branches that are too thick > remove dried up and diseased branches.

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Information in the Internet South Tyrolean Apple PGI:

www.southtyroleanapple.com

Fruit-growing museum:

www.obstbaumuseum.it

Farm holidays in South Tyrol: www.redrooster.it

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Apples and Beauty Apple cream, apple balsam and apple lotion: traditional household remedies based on the apple were very widely used in former times. They are now enjoying a comeback. Apple cream, apple balsam and apple lotion are being used in modern cosmetics. Apples have the same pH-value as our skin and are therefore ideally suited for cosmetic treatments. Apple aroma baths, as well as others, are offered by the Thermal baths at Meran. The active ingredients of the apple, especially pectin, make sensitive skin smooth and soft.

Holidays in South Tyrol:

www.suedtirol.info

Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen:

www.provinz.bz.it

VOG - Association of South Tyrolean Fruit Growers’ Cooperatives: www.vog.it VI.P - Val Venosta Cooperatives Association:

www.vip.coop

Fruttunion:

www.fruttunion.com

Fruit auctions:

www.astafrutta.it

South Tyrolean Farmers Association:

www.sbb.it

South Tyrolean Advisory Board:

www.beratungsring.org

Reasearch Centre for Agriculture and Forestry:

www.laimburg.it

Publisher: Consortium South Tyrolean Apple Photos: Frieder Blickle, Wolfgang Drahorad, Andreas Marini, South Tyrolean Advisory Board, Therme Meran The recipes come from the books “Die Lieblingsrezepte der Südtiroler Bäuerinnen“ (apple strudel), „Genussland Südtirol“ (apple chutney), ©Löwenzahn Verlag Printing: Druckstudio Leo, Frangarto, 4th edition november 2013

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600.2211.5000

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Consortium South Tyrolean Apple Via Jakobi 1/a I-39018 Terlano [email protected] www.southtyroleanapple.com