In Normandy it is apple harvest season. The fruit collected at the moment will be used to produce cider, but the weather conditions of the season complicate things.
The apple harvest is in full swing this October in Normandy orchards. But the rainy conditions of the last few weeks mean that collection can be difficult. And generally speaking, it is the weather throughout 2024, not exactly sunny, which has an impact on the taste of the apples.
At the Pressoir d'Or farm in Frenelles-en-Vexin (Eure), because of the rain, the rows between the apple trees turned into mud. Far from ideal conditions for operating the equipment.
“We go a little slower, we stop more often to clean, to remove the clump of grass which will block the passage of the apples or even damage the bearings,” explains Eric Doré, cider producer at Pressoir d’Or, at the microphone of BFM Normandie.
Less sweet fruits
The sour apple is picked up on the ground. Due to bad weather, the earth has come to surround the fruit. Cleaning is then necessary. These conditions also affect the taste of the apples: a rainy season means a larger and juicier apple but also less sweet.
“We already see it when we bite into the apple (…) and we see it in the density of the apple juice, we lost three points of density compared to last year because of the excess rain and above all the lack of sunshine: we have had a year which has been execrable in terms of sunshine”, confides the cider producer.
“So little sunshine, less capture of photosynthesis, therefore a little less sugar in the fruits,” continues the latter.
The apple harvest can extend until mid-December for the later varieties.
Jocelyn Gouriou with Alicia Foricher
