Flemish apple growers calling on consumers

 Thanks to superhuman marketing efforts, including a campaign to eat more pears, the pear growers of Flanders are quite satisfied. “Sales of pears went up 30%; prices today are back at the level of April last year, and our pear fridges are empty,” reports Philippe Appeltans of the local VBT union of fruit auctioneers. Pears also found new markets in Canada, China and the countries bordering Russia.

Now the same sort of effort is needed for apples, which are suffering not only from the loss of a Russian market that normally takes 10% of production, but which have also seen prices plunge as Poland – also a major client of Russia – has dumped its surpluses on the EU market.

So below are our suggestions on how to consume more apples during this difficult time. And with prices hovering around €1 per kilo, these preparations have never been so economical.

• Apple juice: The stuff that comes in boxes is a pale imitation of the real thing. Make your own and filter it as much or as little as you like to keep that pure apple goodness.
• Apple cider: Cider is fermented apple juice: just add a pack of champagne yeast and let those micro-organisms do their job. Much easier than beer to make at home.
• Apple cider syrup: Spicy and sweet, great over pancakes, soaked into cake or as a basis for warm cider when the cold months roll around again (ie next week).
• Liège-type apple syrup: Keep boiling the above syrup and it gets thicker and thicker until you have a dark, heavy paste that’s sweet on bread but also gives great depth to soups and stews.
• Apple cider vinegar: A different sort of fermentation, allowing your cider to turn to vinegar. Bottled and labelled, give this out as gifts. How domesticated is that?
• Fermented apples: Lacto-fermentation is not for the faint of heart, but the results are to die for. A little whey, water and salt are all it takes, together with some rigorous hygiene, and you get apple slices to accompany ham and other cold cuts, with probacteria as a bonus.
• Apple chutney: An old favourite, either fiery hot or take as you like it. Recycle your empty spaghetti sauce jars instead of carting them to the curb.