Quality you can taste

South Tyrolean apple juice & apple vinegar

More than 7,000 farmers cultivate their apples in South Tyrol/Südtirol. In a country famous for apple cultivation far beyond its borders, it is not surprising that there the production of apple vinegar and apple juice is also part of the tradition. Since 2005, South Tyrolean apple juice and apple vinegar have been qualified to bear the South Tyrolean seal of quality. Producers must comply with very strict quality criteria to maintain the quality seal.

What are the most important quality criteria?

All-natural, naturally cloudy fruit juice or fruit vinegar
Grown, processed and bottled in the region
Only hand-picked apples from integrated or organic cultivation are used to make juice.
The apples are clean, undamaged and free from rot
Preservatives and other additives such as sugar, water, colourings or flavourings are not permitted
Subject to regular checks by an independent inspection authority

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South Tyrolean apple juice in numbers

Approx. 1.4

kilograms of apples are used to make one litre of apple juice.

0 %

preservatives and additives: the key to pure South Tyrolean apple juice.

times as many valuable ingredients such as minerals, trace elements and vitamins are found in cloudy apple juice compared with clear juice.

580,000

litres of apple juice with the South Tyrolean seal of quality are produced every year.

producers in South Tyrol produce not-from-concentrate juices from apples.

producer makes South Tyrolean apple vinegar.

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How is South Tyrolean apple juice produced?

The ideal climate with warm days and cool nights as well as careful cultivation bring forth high-quality raw material: juicy, crunchy, aromatic apples. The ideal basis for any apple juice producer.

After the harvest, the producers chop up the apples in an apple mill and gently press them. This causes the natural fruit juice to seep out. Naturally cloudy South Tyrolean apple juice is not filtered, but it is pasteurised: the producers make the apple juice more durable by heating it up to approx. 80 degrees Celsius for a short time. Afterwards, it is filled in bottles. These are usually green in order to protect the juice against incident sunlight.

By the way: the original South Tyrolean apple juice contains no additives whatsoever but is chock-full of goodness, giving it the rich, intense flavour that we all know and love.

How is South Tyrolean apple vinegar produced?

The apple juice obtained from hand-picked apples is first fermented into cider with the help of yeast. Vinegar inoculation, a method of traditional vinegar production, allows the cider to ferment. Before South Tyrolean apple vinegar may be used in the kitchen, it is stored in wooden barrels for at least two months before finally being pasteurised at low temperature.

What does ...

... ‘not-from-concentrate juice’ mean?

Not-from-concentrate juice means that the apple juice has not been frozen or concentrated. Not-from-concentrate juice consists of 100 percent fruit juice without any added water, sugar or other substances. In particular, this preserves both the valuable ingredients and the taste!

... ‘naturally cloudy’ mean?

In contrast to clear apple juice, naturally cloudy apple juice is not filtered. This preserves the suspended solids in the juice, which give the apple juice with the South Tyrolean seal of quality its special, strong aroma.