Apples: The Most Popular Fruit Among the French
The apple is the French people’s favorite fruit. This may be because it can be eaten anywhere, isn’t too high in calories, or simply because it has a nice sweet taste. The French consume 16.6 kg of apples per year per household! It is also the most commonly consumed fruit, ahead of the famous bananas and oranges.
The three leading producing countries are Poland, Italy, and France.
50% of the apples produced in France are for the French market, 31% for export, and the rest for processing.
Apples can cause other fruits stored nearby to ripen more quickly due to the release of ethylene. It is therefore advisable to store them separately.
When do you eat an apple?
There are many varieties of apples in France, but only about fifty are sold commercially. The earliest varieties are harvested around July, and the latest around November. Apples have a unique characteristic that sets them apart from many other fruits: they have two ripening dates—one for harvesting and another for eating. They can be eaten year-round.
Ways to Enjoy Apples
You can eat apples in a variety of ways, although eating them as is remains the most popular option. In fact, they can be eaten as a prepared dessert (94.1%), as a side dish (79.2%), in other ways (73%), or as an appetizer or in a salad (64.2%).
Organic Apple Production in France
Organic apple production in France has continued to rise in recent years. The regions that produce the most are Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) and Normandy, followed by the Pays de Loire.
In terms of organic fruit consumption, apples rank second behind bananas (source: Interfel).
The Juliet® apple, an apple grown in France
The Juliet® apple is grown exclusively in France using organic farming methods. All of its growers are French and are members of the association “Les Amis de Juliet®,” founded in 2005. It now includes nearly 200 growers across France. The association’s goal is to promote Juliet®, coordinate the management of the orchards, and expand the variety.
Until now, it was the only variety in the world to be grown exclusively using organic farming methods.
The Juliet® apple is also available in several product lines, such as pure apple juice, cider, apple cider vinegar, sparkling apple juice, and applesauce. Of course, they are all organic.