CONNOISSEUR:We barely seem to notice the seasonal arrival of a fruit we could - and should - be celebrating, writes Hugo Arnold
WERE IT NOT for the fact that I packed them reluctantly onto an aeroplane, my children would still be munching through more sweets than I've heard firecrackers over the past few weeks. And for many of you, I know the reality will be the same. Oh Halloween, where have you gone? What used to be a celebration of autumn is no more.
We are in the heart of what should be the apple season. Counties Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny were once famous for their apples due to a combination of climate, topography, soil and reputation, much the same as the reasons for any decent wine-growing region in mainland Europe. Yet here the area under apple production has fallen eight per cent since 2002 (according to Bord Bia's National Apple Orchards Census 2007).
Down in Rioja in northern Spain at the end of last month, many households had spent the previous weekends bottling tomatoes, their famous peppers and, in some cases, tuna, ready for the winter months. Here, we barely seem to notice the seasonal start of a fruit we could - and should - be celebrating.
The merits of Bramley are questionable, to this writer at least, with its tart flavour and woolly texture (production is falling). The same cannot be said of the other popular varieties like Jonagored, Elstar and Red Prince. But production of these latter varieties is also in decline.
The apple industry, such as it is, numbers 40 growers, with a further two focused on organic production, according to Bord Bia. This translates into almost 60 full-time jobs and just under 300 part-time jobs, although those involved in the industry suspect it is rather bigger than this. But trouble lies ahead.
Apple orchards are old, particularly when it comes to dessert apples, and this is not a good thing as trees need to be replaced if the quality of fruit production is to stay high.
Buying good premium Irish apples is not simple. Quality varies and the source is not always easy to determine. Genuine farm shops and genuine stalls at farmers' markets are the two best routes. If you are shopping in supermarkets, look out for the Celtic Orchards label on packaged apples. This is a marketing group set up by some of the growers themselves to try and ensure a quality of product.
What should you be buying? The dessert apple season starts at the end of August with Discovery (very juicy), moves into Worcester Permain (sweet, but a bit dry and tough), Katy (also a little uninspiring) and then Red Windsor, Elstar and Jonagored (all sweet and juicy). These latter two will then carry through to the beginning of March. At their best these really are fruits to celebrate with.
And if we can eat good Irish apples, what about drinking them? Cider apple production has increased marginally (up 2 per cent), but this continues to be reliant on the Bulmers of this world. Contrast this with the situation which exists in the UK where small producers are allowed to make and sell up to 7,000 litres of cider without being liable for duty.
Efforts are currently being made in Europe to see if something can be done to enable a similar exception to be made in Ireland. If this is successful, we could see profitability in a sector which is plagued by the high cost of land and the difficulty of getting to market. It would encourage the establishment of orchards, with the resulting produce sold locally and with added value. See www.celticorchards.com harnold@irish-times.ie