Warm weather and sun leads to big crop

IT IS often seen as the traditional advent of autumn, with the annual harvest signalling the end of summer.
Apple growers hope a late but bountiful season will be met with renewed enthusiasm from consumers wanting to support local producers post Brexit.Apple growers hope a late but bountiful season will be met with renewed enthusiasm from consumers wanting to support local producers post Brexit.
Apple growers hope a late but bountiful season will be met with renewed enthusiasm from consumers wanting to support local producers post Brexit.

The English apple season starts today in earnest, two weeks later than last year in large part because the poor spring weather held blossom growth back.

However, the prayers of the region’s apple growers have been answered as unseasonal September weather has led to a bumper crop.

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Temperatures have been as high as ten degrees hotter than normal for this time of year leading to a crop full of flavour and juice and fruit that is particularly vibrant in colour because of the high levels of sunlight over the last few weeks.

Last Tuesday temperatures in Leeds were recorded at 25 degrees celsius when the historical average is usually around 15 degrees. The pattern was almost repeated on Thursday as the thermometer reached 24 degrees.

English Apples and Pears, which represents producers, said growers would usually have started picking the Cox variety last week, but this year’s weather meant that this was delayed until this week or even into next week.

The Gala variety, which will also be picked this week, now outsells Cox - traditionally the apple of choice for Britons - three to one, the group said.

Braeburn is expected to follow in mid to late October.

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English Apples and Pears chief executive Steven Munday said: “We’re two weeks later than normal, which is primarily weather-related.

“We had a dull, wet spring, which retarded blossom growth, and we tend not to be able to make that up.

“However we hope the lovely hot summer, with plenty of sunlight, will give us great tasting, great coloured and great looking fruit.”

His sentiments were echoed by local growers who are now about to harvest their apples.

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Tim Saxby is the orchard manager at Ampleforth Abbey where on over ten acres of land they grow 40 different varieties of apples used to produce a range of ciders and juices.

He said: “We have left it longer to pick the apples.

“We are behind the Kent growers whose harvest is history and in the shops - we were picking yesterday afternoon.”

Mr Saxby said that because the orchard at Ampleforth does not grow for commercial clients, such as supermarkets, they have been able to leave apples on trees for longer allowing flavours to develop and fruit to retain optimum sugar levels.

He added: “We don’t sell fresh fruit, it all goes in the press but if you a look at a supermarket Discovery apple they are about six to seven centimetres.

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“Ours are absolute monsters because we have left them on the trees to plump up.

“We follow nature and everything is hand-picked. There is no particular science.

“Every morning we stroll around the orchard and prepare our picking plan.”

Yorkshire Orchards at Wilberfoss in York is only just aboout to start picking apples for the ciders and juices it makes because they haven’t been ready up until now.

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Angela Alison said: “The pears are just about ready but not all apples are ready. The Russets will have a more intense flavour and the colour is lovely and the same for our Discoverys.

“More sunshine hours helped develop the sugar and flavours.

“You can have a warm summer but not a lot of sunshine and you don’t get the same colour but this is a great start for Autumn.”

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