We’re excited to bring you an exclusive interview with Juerg.Burri from Sweet Tango® Apples, one of the most distinguished apple varieties available on the market today. Sweet Tango® is celebrated for its perfect blend of sweetness and tang, offering a crisp and refreshing bite that has made it a favourite among consumers worldwide. Known for their exceptional quality and consistent flavour, Sweet Tango® apples are a standout choice for retailers, distributors, and wholesalers looking to offer only the best to their customers.
In this interview, we delve into what makes Sweet Tango® apples so special, exploring their journey from the orchard to the store shelf, and why they should be a key player in your fresh produce selection.
ISN. Could you tell us about the unique qualities of Sweet Tango® apples that set them apart from other apple varieties on the market?
SweeTango® is the first premium apple of thenew season. It reaches the market by mid-August, well before most other apple varieties. One can say that SweeTango® is the start of the apple season. SweeTango® apples are known for several unique qualities that distinguish them from other apple varieties:
- Flavor Profile: Sweet Tango® apples have a distinct combination of sweetness and tanginess, which provides a well-balanced flavor. This unique taste is a result of their specific breeding and growing conditions.
- Crunchy Texture: These apples are characterized by a firm, crunchy texture that enhances the eating experience. Their crispness makes them enjoyable for fresh eating and adds to their appeal in recipes.
- Juiciness: Sweet Tango® apples have larger cells compared to other apples and therefore are particularly juicy, making them refreshing and satisfying to eat. Their high juice content contributes to their overall flavor intensity.
- Appearance: They typically have a vibrant red and yellow skin that is both attractive and appetizing. The appealing color adds to their desirability in the market.
- Harvest Season: Sweet Tango® apples are generally harvested in the early fall, which allows them to be available in the market at a very early stage, prior to peak apple season.
- Bred for Quality: This variety was developed through a careful breeding program to ensure consistency in flavor, texture, and appearance, making them a reliable choice for consumers.
Overall, Sweet Tango® apples offer a unique combination of flavor, texture, and visual appeal that sets them apart from other apple varieties available.
ISN. How does the cultivation and harvesting process contribute to the consistent quality and flavour of Sweet Tango® apples?
The cultivation and harvesting process plays a critical role in ensuring the consistent quality and flavor of Sweet Tango® apples. Here are some key factors involved:
- Careful Breeding: Sweet Tango® apples are a product of careful breeding practices that focus on creating a variety with desirable traits, such as taste, texture, and disease resistance. This controlled breeding contributes to uniformity in flavor and quality.
- Optimal Growing Conditions: Sweet Tango® apples thrive in specific climates and soil types. Growers often select regions with the right balance of sunlight, temperature, and moisture, which contributes to the apples’ sweetness and overall flavor profile.
- Pruning and Orchard Management: Proper orchard management practices, including pruning, are essential to maximize sunlight exposure and air circulation around the apple trees. This leads to more evenly ripened fruit and enhances flavor development.
- Integrated Pest Management: Growers often employ integrated pest management (IPM) techniques to reduce pest infestations and diseases. This ensures that the apples can grow healthy and free from damage, which can affect flavor and quality.
- Controlled Irrigation: Adequate water supply through careful irrigation helps the trees produce juicy and flavorful apples. Growers monitor soil moisture levels to ensure consistent hydration during critical growing phases.
- Timely Harvesting: Harvesting Sweet Tango® apples at the right time is crucial. Picking the apples at their peak ripeness ensures optimal flavor and quality. Growers often conduct taste tests and check for color changes to determine the perfect harvest time.
- Post-Harvest Handling: After harvesting, Sweet Tango® apples are typically handled with high standards in mind. Proper storage, temperature control, and packaging help maintain their quality and flavor during transport and retail.
By focusing on these cultivation and harvesting practices, growers are able to consistently produce Sweet Tango® apples that deliver the exceptional taste and quality that consumers expect.
ISN. What measures are taken to ensure that Sweet Tango® apples maintain their freshness and taste from the orchard to the consumer’s table?
To ensure that Sweet Tango® apples maintain their freshness and taste from the orchard to the consumer’s table, several measures are implemented throughout the supply chain:
Careful Harvesting: Apples are harvested at the peak of ripeness to maximize flavor and freshness. Each apple is hand-picked to minimize bruise damage and ensure that only the best fruit is selected. A further characteristic of Sweet Tango® apples is that its stems are cut by hand to safeguard a high quality and to avoid damages to the other apples in the bin.
Immediate Cooling: After harvesting, Sweet Tango® apples are quickly cooled to remove field heat. This helps to slow down the ripening process and maintain their freshness. Controlled cooling can involve hydro-cooling or air chilling.
Optimal Storage Conditions: Once cooled, the apples are stored in temperature-controlled environments with regulated humidity levels. This helps prevent dehydration and spoilage, maintaining the apples’ crispness and juiciness.
Regular Quality Checks: Throughout the storage and transportation process, regular quality checks are performed to monitor the apples’ condition. Any apples that show signs of spoilage or damage are removed to ensure that only high-quality fruit reaches consumers.
Efficient Transportation: Apples are transported in climate-controlled trucks to maintain appropriate temperatures during transit. This helps prevent spoilage and ensures that the fruit arrives at its destination in optimal condition.
Retail Best Practices: Retailers are trained to handle and display Sweet Tango® apples properly. This includes maintaining cool temperatures in display cases and rotating stock..
Consumer Education: Providing consumers with information on how to store apples at home can also help maintain their freshness. Recommendations often include storing the apples in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator to extend shelf life.
By implementing these measures, growers and distributors can deliver Sweet Tango® apples that retain their exceptional flavor and quality from the orchard all the way to the consumer’s table.
ISN. How has the demand for Sweet Tango® apples evolved in the European market, particularly among supermarkets, distributors, and wholesalers?
After the introduction of Sweet Tango® apples to the European markets back in 2019 the production as well as the demand has been continuously rising. Today we produce some 7’000 tons of Sweet Tango® apples in Europe. As a premium seasonal product with availability from August until October, Sweet Tango® apples are nowadays sold amongst all large retailers and distributors in Europe.
ISN. What feedback have you received from retailers and consumers regarding the Sweet Tango® apple, and how has this influenced your approach to marketing and distribution?
Feedbacks from consumers and retailers about Sweet Tango® apples are excellent. Consumers love it for its unique crunch and flavor and rate it amongst the top apple varieties in the world. Retailers chose Sweet Tango® apples for their availability at the beginning of the season, for its good quality and solid sales.
Today, Sweet Tango® apples are produced in the following European countries:
Italy
- Consortio MELINDA
- VI.P COOP
- VOG
Germany
- DOSK Deutsches Obst-Sorten Konsortium
Austria
- F. Kröpfl Obsthandelsgesellschaft mbh
Spain
- NUFRI
Switzerland
- GEISER agro.com
