Throughout history, apples have always been a fruit to pack a punch. Did Eve tempt her man with a nice piece of kiwi? Was it a golden satsuma that helped spark the Trojan War? Was Isaac Newton hit by a falling fig? Did the Beatles name their record label Plum? Do people upset the cherry cart?
Of course not - apples have been the fruit to beat for more than 4,000 years. Apples are believed to have been the earliest tree to be cultivated and nowadays an estimated 55 million tonnes of apples are grown worldwide every year.
But with more than 7,500 known varieties of the fruit, what is it that makes Jazz Apples stand out from the crowd?
Let’s give you a little pomology, Jazz Apple style. Originally from New Zealand, Jazz Apples are a delicious cross between a Braeburn and a Royal Gala. A Jazz Apple boasts the sweetness of a Royal Gala and the texture of a Braeburn, which have combined to create an apple with attitude which is truly at the top of its tree.
A modern apple variety, Jazz was only developed in the 1990s and although largely remembered as a time of no taste, Jazz Apples are the exception to prove the rule. They are now grown in regions across the world including New Zealand, France, the USA and of course here in good old Blighty.
In the spring of 2006, over 200,000 Jazz Apple trees covering some 200 acres were planted around the UK in Kent, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Sussex. Millions of pounds were invested in the largest single apple plantation programme ever seen in the British Isles. The largest single producer of British Jazz Apples is Kent grower, Paul Mansfield – one of his farms in Chislet has a quarter of the total UK plantings after an investment of more than £1 million. It is anticipated that by 2012, Britain will be producing a whopping 1.5 million Jazz Apple cases.
In a nutshell, British apple growers know a good thing when they see one, which is why they are signing up to become exclusive Jazz Apple growers. The size and scale of the investment demonstrates that UK growers believe Jazz to be the apple of the future.
Anyone growing our apples is carefully monitored and licensed to ensure that only tip-top Jazz Apples make it into your shopping trolley.
We are determined to ensure that every Jazz apple is a great apple and, so far, we think we're doing a pretty good job. But don't take our word for it, read the reviews at Orange Pippin, a great, independent website that has news, views and information on hundreds of varieties of apples including Jazz.
