About 40 percent of Victoria’s apples are grown in Harcourt. It used to be even more than that.
Since 1857, our orchards have produced crisp and tasty apples. This is thanks to a mix of climate, irrigation and the valley’s sandy granitic soils.
What grows?
Eating apples
Apples grown for eating that are currently grown in Harcourt’s vast orchards include Pink Lady, Royal Gala, Fuji, Sundowner, Red Delicious and Granny Smith Apples.
Cider Apples
There’s also more than 40 varieties of traditional cider apples are grown by Henry of Harcourt and Bress. They grow and mill cider apples from England and France, each chosen for their biting fresh flavours.
Apple Harvest, February to May
Blossoms of spring lead in to busy picking time. Picking is done by hand using ladder and picking bags. From there, they’re collected into wooden containers. When filled, the containers are towed by tractor to a coolstore, where a controlled atmosphere keeps our apples fresh and crisp for great eating.
Keep an eye out for orchard vehicles on the local roads. Ask for new season fruit at your local fruiterer.
Where and when to buy Harcourt apples?
New season apples are available about the time of Harcourt Applefest, in March of each year.
Around Harcourt, roadside shops get their apple supplies straight from the orchards.
At the Melbourne Wholesale Market, our apples are available all year round.
Applefest
Yes, Applefest is a famous annual event makes for March madness in Harcourt’s fruit fields. It’s timed for peak harvest season so you can sample all of the best. Of course, these days there is a lot more to it than apples…