In the Netherlands, the Flevosap juice experts have introduced an entirely biodynamic apple juice: OERsap Elstar Appel. This ultra-pure juice is made from crisp 'Elstar Mantel' apples grown in a local orchard. The apples used for OERsap have slight imperfections but come into their own as juice, which has nothing wrong with its taste and quality.
OERsap is known for its pure juice made from local 'imperfect vegetables', i.e., those that have a slight blemish or are a little deformed. "Apples are, of course, a fruit, but they're very traditionally Dutch. And these are cultivated completely biodynamically," says Jorn de Beer of Flevosap.
"That makes it special and benefits its taste and quality." After pressing, the juice is bottled in glass bottles, mostly made from recycled glass. The juice is pasteurized (heated to 80°C) and thus keeps longer, naturally. OERsap Elstar Appel is naturally cloudy, with no added sugars, flavorings, or preservatives. "A traditional juice from apples grown in Dutch soil," Jorn states.
Special regional Elstar variant
Biodynamic fruit grower Rein Mantel of Fruitful knew straight away that he had cultivated a winner. "Extremely rare," says Rein about this successful Elstar variety.
His orchard is a little piece of paradise. "Lots of greenery, flowers, buzzing insects, and twittering birds" is how Rein describes his farm. "I use a natural balance as my foundation."
"We want to involve nature in our activities as much as possible. That's also why I use less fertilizer than 'regular' organic farmers," he adds. "The result: a firm, concentrated apple. On the small side but of excellent quality. Firm, flavorful, and it keeps well."
Circular food cycle
"How many miles do we cover to make OERsap Elstar Appel? None! OERsap's producers and Fruitful are neighbors. OERsap Elstar Appel thus has a tiny carbon footprint: straight from the grower to the bottle," says Rein. A 'closed cycle' is of critical value within biodynamic entrepreneurship.
"After the apples have been squeezed, pulp remains. This dry substance has plenty of nutritional value and is extremely suitable as biodynamic cattle feed. A nearby biodynamic farmer's cows love it, and we have no fruit waste. That's how we work together to create a circular food cycle," Jorn concludes.
OERsap is happy to let store owners taste this new juice. They have sample packs and promotional material available.
For more information, email info@oersap.eu or visit their website at www.oersap.eu.