/ Our magazine / The real apple time is now!
/ Our magazine / The real apple time is now!
It's not just the title of a famous movie, but this is the season that, more than any other, smells of apples. From September to late October, the apple orchards in Italy come alive with the harvest of one of the most beloved and versatile fruits in the world, a protagonist of ancient traditions and new experiences related to rural tourism.
The heart of Italian apple cultivation is mainly centered in Trentino-Alto Adige, which alone produces over half of the apples in our country. Here, the alpine valleys, kissed by the sun and protected by the mountains, create an ideal microclimate for the ripening of the fruits. But apples also thrive in Veneto, Piemonte, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche, territories that preserve prized varieties and deep-rooted traditions.
The apple harvest is not only an agricultural activity but a moment that for centuries has marked the life of the countryside. In the past, when farming families lived self-sufficiently, this period was essential for ensuring a stock of fruit during the cold months. Apples were carefully stored in cellars, laid on straw or hung in attics, and constituted a valuable reserve of energy.
Today, the harvest is still a moment of sociality: in many mountainous areas, friends and relatives gather in the orchards to participate together in this activity, often crowned by festivals and local events. An example is the Festa della Mela di Cles (Trentino), where tastings, markets, and folk music transform the harvest into a cultural and tourist event.
In some peasant traditions, it was said that the first apple picked should be offered to the Madonna or to the protective saints as a good omen for the future harvest.
The best apples were set aside to be given as gifts at Christmas, often decorated with a red ribbon and offered as a sign of prosperity.
In South Tyrol and Tyrol, during the harvest, it was customary to prepare Strudel to thank the field workers after an intense day.
The apple is often called the “everyday fruit par excellence,” and this is not for nothing. It is rich in:
Vitamins (especially C and B group)
Fibers that are valuable for intestinal well-being
Polyphenols with antioxidant action
A moderate calorie content, making it ideal for diets.
The famous saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is thus confirmed by scientific research.
In addition to being consumed fresh, apples are the stars of numerous sweet and savory recipes:
Typical desserts: South Tyrolean strudel, grandma's apple pie, crunchy fritters.
Savory dishes: autumn salads with apples and walnuts, risottos mixed with apples and speck, roasts accompanied by apple sauce.
Beverages: apple cider, widely spread in Northern Europe but increasingly appreciated in Italy, and natural fruit juices with a fresh taste (for Veneto, we selected Terre di Gemma with their 100% Apple Juice).
Its versatility makes it a perfect ingredient for traditional cooking as well as for innovative and creative recipes.
It is perhaps the most famous apple festival in Italy, held every year in Cles, in Val di Non, the heart of Trentino's apple cultivation. Stalls, tastings, photo exhibitions, and folk performances accompany the harvest. It is an event that attracts visitors from all over Italy.
An itinerant event dedicated to the world of apples and rural autumn. It is not just a festival, but a cultural event: apples are picked directly from the orchards, typical dishes are tasted, and workshops for adults and children are attended.
An event that combines the apple harvest with Tyrolean food and wine. Besides tastings, guided tours in the orchards and farmhouses are organized.
Another historic festival of the valley most famous for its apples in Italy. In addition to the farmers' market, musical performances, culinary competitions, and educational activities for the little ones are organized.
Dedicated to the Mela Rosa dei Monti Sibillini, an ancient and fragrant variety, now a Slow Food Presidia. The festival is held in various towns in the mountainous area and celebrates both the fruit and local agricultural biodiversity.
A more intimate event that highlights the local varieties of Piedmontese apples and the peasant traditions linked to the harvest.
Valtellina is not just land of wine, but also of apples. The festival in Villa di Tirano celebrates the varieties cultivated in the area with markets, food stands, and folk performances.
The Melo Decio is an ancient variety of apples from Belfiore, the land of Verona apples, which has been recognized since 2014 by the Slow Food Presidia, which carries out its activities to save native products from extinction, enhancing landscapes, territories, and cultures.
While focusing on the “cotogna” (quince), it is a festival that also highlights local apple varieties.
The campanina apple is an ancient variety from the lower Modena and Mantova, also known as “grandma's apple”, the food and wine festival dedicated to it aims to enhance local products and other typical flavors of the territory such as Parmigiano Reggiano.
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