Hello everyone!
I have recently been invited to Avignon to celebrate a very special event – the start of the northern hemisphere’s Pink Lady apple harvest. When I got the invitation I literally couldn’t believe it- I felt like somebody sneaked into my fridge! I always buy Pink Lady apples! It couldn’t be a coincidence! I just found it hard to describe why these are my favourite apples. What makes them this special and better than any other apple types I have eaten before? I have decided to join the trip to find out!
We flew from London to Marseille and already on the plane I got very excited. I had a feeling this trip will bring so many incredible experiences and new flavours. I also only visited Paris in France so I was also super happy to explore beautiful region of Provence that has been on my bucket list forever. From Marseille we had a car pick up and got transferred to the hotel in Avignon. Already on the way I could see so many incredible views. Yes, this is exactly how I’ve imagined a gold autumn in France. It was magical. I couldn’t stop starring at all the rolling vineyards and the colourful trees. It only got me more excited for visiting the Pink Lady orchards. I already had a picture of this place in my head.
The morning after we got up early, had breakfast (could we appreciate freshly baked French croissants for a second please?) and headed to the orchards. The weather forecast was showing us heavy rains so we got all prepared with raincoats and wellies. It was raining a lot while we were driving but when we got there- surprise. The sky beautifully cleared out and we suddenly felt the sun rays on our faces. We stopped for a second to admire the most idyllic view – the trees covered in pink apples gently moving with the wind. “Ohh wow” – I thought. It was even prettier than I ever imaged. Ohh forgotten to mention the smell in the air…it was beautiful!
We’ve started with a little tour around the orchards where we found out more about Pink Lady apples and its history. So why Pink Lady? Pink Lady apple is the brand name of cultivar of apples called a Cripps Pink. The Pink Lady apple original came about by a man named John Cripps- the plant-breeder who created the first ever Pink Lady apple in Australia. He took the Pink Lady name from his favourite novel, Nicholas Monsarrat’s The Cruel Sea. In this story, the hero savours a cocktail called ‘Pink Lady’. It’s a perfectly fitting name for an apple with such a beautiful blush.
Why are the Pink Lady apples so special? First of all, Pink Lady apples are the first apple to blossom and the last to be hand-picked. This extra time in the sun gives the apples their special pink blush, sweeter crunch and a wonderful fizz. That was the word missing in my dictionary to explain the flavour! The fizz… it makes them so different from any apples I’ve ever tried before! Also it’s all about the location. Pink Lady apples are grown in the world’s finest wine regions from France to Italy and South Africa to Australia.
A Pink Lady apple’s unique flavour and qualities are not an accident. The way the rows of trees are orientated, the positioning of the branches and the amount of greenery on the trees is carefully considered, all to ensure the apples receive as many rays of sun as possible. Also, only the best of best apples are selected, hand-picked and given the Pink Lady seal of approval- the pink heart-shaped sticker you find on every Pink Lady is a symbol of its authenticity and guarantees consistent quality.
Ah, I can feel the taste of them while writing this post for you! But what I must say is- they tasted even better when I hand-picked them from the tree by myself! I managed to fill up the entire bag for the journey home- so satisfying, ha! Every time I have a bite, I have the picture of these magical orchards in my head! Believe me or not, photos do not justify the beauty of this place but we’ve tried our best to show you how incredible it was! Thank you Wendy for snapping these pics of me!
Have you tried the Pink Lady apples yet?
Post in collaboration with Pink Lady Apples
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