The green apple
Apple production around the world:
The apple is an ancient fruit found all over the world. It appeared in Greek mythology as an object of discord between the goddesses of Olympus. It is a relatively easy fruit to grow and is widely enjoyed, which is why it has spread throughout the world. This worldwide development has given rise to numerous regional varieties and sub-varieties, which explains why there are now several thousand different varieties of apples.
Today, global production is largely dominated by China, which alone accounts for nearly half of total production. It is followed by Turkey and the United States, with production levels ten times lower.
French production
France is the third largest apple producer in the world. Apple cultivation in France has deep historical roots. Apples have become the star fruit of the French landscape, as they are the country’s leading fruit in terms of production and exports. Production is spread across six main production areas:
- Occitanie (24%)
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (22%)
- Pays de la Loire (16%)
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine (15%)
- Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (7%)
- Centre-Val de Loire (6%)
These six regions alone account for 90% of French production. Production is therefore highly localised and dominated by certain regions. But it is also dominated by certain varieties. In fact, in 2020, Golden (313,085 tonnes), Gala (270,246 tonnes) and Granny Smith (113,632 tonnes) were the three most widely produced varieties in France (1,321,781 tonnes).
Apple cultivation by our producers
In order to make the tree more resistant to disease and climate conditions, growers often graft it onto a quince rootstock. Once grafted, it takes between four and five years for the apple tree to produce its first fruit. It will then produce fruit for 15 to 20 years before its yield declines year on year. In orchards, apple trees are trained and pruned every year. Training promotes air circulation, limiting the development of fungal diseases while facilitating harvesting. Pruning concentrates the tree’s sap flow in the fruit-bearing branches, ensuring larger, higher-quality fruit. Finally, our producers also carry out a thinning process, which involves removing flowers or small developing fruits so that the tree concentrates its energy on a smaller number of fruits, but of better quality.
The Granny Smith variety requires a mild climate with moderate sun exposure, as sunlight alters the green colour of the apple, giving it a pinkish tinge. This variety must be pollinated by other varieties (Golden, Jonathan, Cox’s Orange, etc.) due to its self-infertility. In general, one pollinator tree per row is sufficient.
With the aim of limiting the use of plant protection products and preserving the soil, our producers work according to an agroecological model and are certified as eco-responsible orchards. This is why orchards are covered with vegetation, which promotes biodiversity and soil renewal. Another practice also implemented in the orchards is the installation of pheromone disruptors. These small diffusers treat harmful insects that like to nest in hail nets, without the use of chemicals.
The harvest:
As Granny Smith is a late variety, harvesting takes place between October and early November. All the fruit is carefully picked by hand. This ensures that only perfectly ripe fruit is harvested and that no fruit is damaged. Immediately after harvesting, the fruit is stored in cold rooms at -1°C. This storage method allows the fruit to be kept ripe for up to a year without deteriorating in quality. Shortly before being shipped to our production site, the apples are taken out to return to normal temperature.
Les vergers Boiron green apple purée
Our green apple purée has a characteristic thick and fibrous texture. In the manufacturing process, we use both the flesh and skin of the fruit, which gives it a hand-crushed appearance. This is what explains the high viscosity of our purée. The intense green colour of our purée is the result of processing small fruits. The ratio of skin to flesh is lower in small fruits, which is why we choose them to ensure the texture and colour we want. Using small fruits is also an advantage for our producers, who can sell fruits that are not usually popular on the fresh market.
In terms of taste, there is a dominant herbaceous note, which is the result of using the whole fruit. The use of the skin develops this note and makes it dominant in the profile of our purée. There is also a dominant acidic note, which is very characteristic of the Granny Smith variety. Finally, there are more subtle notes of white grape and bitter almond.
Combination of flavours
Les vergers Boiron green apple purée works equally well in sweet combinations, balancing the acidity of Granny Smith apples, and in vegetable combinations that highlight this note. You can also choose to enhance the natural acidity of Les vergers Boiron green apple purée by pairing it with tart flavours and citrus fruits. Here are a few suggestions for combinations:
Fruit
Herbs and seeds
buckwheat,
tarragon,
dill
Other organisations
caramel,
celery,
hibiscus,
maple syrup