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apples, apples. Typical products
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Homepage > Farm products > Apples
Apples
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A fruit of ancient origins, already known to the Greeks and the Romans, the apple is today grown on large areas of the Padana Plain and of Trentino Alto Adige region.
The apple belongs to the Rosaceans’ family and today we can find many varities of it, which, according to the different maturation of each, can satisfy the demands of both the home and European markets.
Common characteristics are a curved shape, a crisp and juicy pulp, which can be white or slightly coloured, acidulous and /or sweet according to the type. In order to meet aesthetic demands, the varieties have also been selected for their nutritional qualities and for their colour, which varies from bright green to the intense red of the latest selections. The best known varieties of the Plain are:
Golden Delicious in its various clones. It is known for its sweetness and is excellent in cakes and fruit salads. Granny Smith crisp and sharp. Fuji, a recent variety with excellent nutritional properties. Gala, which ripens in Summer.
Other economically less important varieties such as Imperatore Dallago, Red Delicious and Campanino are limited to some very circumscribed areas.
The cultivation of apples is widespread in the whole province of Mantua, due to a sort of vocation in this area. In the last few years there has been a great diffusion of some varieties which allow cultivation tecniques using biological methods. Among these we can mention Florina, the first and most widely diffused, Primiera, Pinova, Red Free and Gold Rush, which are meeting with success both in Italy and Europe.
Thesevarieties are suitable for the aziende agrituristiche (farmhouse hotels and restaurants), because of their good nutritional qualities and because their trees do not require much care.
The rows of these apple trees, with their regular vertical growth and their ability to be easily pruned, are often used for educational purposes.
For the production of Mantuan “mostarda” we use quince apple. This is an old variety, but still present in many farms. Quince apples are easy to grow and they don’t need much attention to protect them from disease and insects. It is also used for the production of quince jam.
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