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The road of an apple

From the apple flower to the shelf: the journey of the best Val Venostas apples

The apple orchards of the Venosta Valley were just a land of pink flowers, and only few months later our farmers removed the ripe apples from the trees. From there, the delicious fruits still have a long way to go until they are put in your shopping baskets and you can enjoy them. But do not worry, you will never have to miss your favourite fruit all year long. That's why we are in charge!
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Tree pruning
There are no winter holidays for our farmers. Immediately after the harvest, they have to leave room for the young fruit trees while pruning the trees and in this way the good quality of the next harvest is guaranteed.
Old timbers are removed
Outbreaks are reduced
Branches are trimmed
Old timbers are removed
Outbreaks are reduced
Branches are trimmed
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Plantation
In the spring, varieties that are particularly suitable for the field are planted in the new apple orchards.
 
Plantation
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Flowering
Spring great awakening
 
Flowering
Spring great awakening

Under the warm spring sun from mid-April to early May, our gardens flourish, in the true sense of the word! Then, the Venosta Valley becomes a land of flowers and the hot, dry days attract innumerable worker bees, which fertilize the flowers.

If the temperatures are still around the freezing point during the night, our farmers start the frost irrigation. Once the delicate apple flowers are under a protective layer of ice, even icy nights cannot damage them.
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Pruning
To let only the best apples ripen, excess fruit is removed during pruning by hand.
 
Pruning
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Irrigation
Whether it's watering from the cup or drip irrigation, the apple trees are fully irrigated.
 
Irrigation
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Maturation and harvest
Complete maturity before harvest
 
Maturation and harvest
Complete maturity before harvest

In the maturation test in the laboratory, it is verified if the apples are ready for harvesting. It all depends on their "features": Only when the degradation of the starch, the pulp firmness and the sugar content are correct, the path for careful harvesting by hand starts.

Good things need time. Therefore, farmers only start with the "selection", although in reality each apple has developed to full maturity. For the most part, several collection steps are even necessary.

In the harvest, our farmers are especially careful. After all, only the best apples will arrive at the cooperative stores.
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In the cooperative
Only the perfect apples end up in their shopping baskets, in the end is merit of careful work in the cooperative.
Classification
Storage
Storage
Classification
Storage
Storage
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Last steps
In the cooperative, apples are classified, stored and packaged.
 
Last steps
The cooperative process:

Smile!
Each apple is photographed 60 times in a photo booth, in a matter of seconds.

Good ones stay together:
In a short time, apples of the same size, colour and quality are grouped through a computer program and are assigned to the same washing channel.

Packaging and stowage:
At the filling plant, the grouped apples are filled in boxes and then taken to an intermediate storage facility.

To check and go:
Packed and ready for transport by road, Val Venostas apples have to demonstrate what they are worth for the last time in a final quality control, and then the doors will open to the world.
The Val Venosta resistant
Explosion of intense flavour