Supermarket group Spar is working with Austrian fruit and vegetable supplier Frutura to test traditional apple varieties for wider sale. The project aims to find out whether these older varieties can succeed in commercial farming under current conditions. If the trials succeed, Spar hopes to offer the apples throughout the region.
The first varieties being tested are the Ilzer Rose, which dates to 1840 in Styria in southern Austria, and the Falchs Gulderling, identified in South Tirol in the 1870s. The experimental orchard in Styria has 2,150 trees. The first harvest has been picked, and the apples are heading to markets in Vienna for sales trials.
Although around 7,500 apple varieties are grown today, a supermarket typically offers only three to five. Modern commercial varieties are bred for flavor, high yields, bright colors, and resistance to pests, diseases, and agricultural chemicals. These qualities help explain their place in stores. Older varieties may struggle to perform as well when grown in large quantities, so the project will test their suitability rather than simply bring back a piece of farming history.
