About VOG Products
About VOG Products
Markets & Solutions
Markets & Solutions
Product Portfolio
Product Portfolio
Sustainability
Sustainability
How solid pack apples are produced
Solid pack apples are peeled, sliced or diced and cooked fruits, that are normally used by large bakeries, but also canteen kitchens and fruit preparation companies all over the world. Solid pack apples must meet the high quality standards of VOG Products and those of our customers, therefore they must fulfil a number of requirements.
They have to:
- have a size of at least 65+
- have a certain pressure hardness so as not to disintegrate during cooking
- be free of bruises and any skin defects.
The only small blemish that occasionally prevents these apples from advancing to the top quality class is insufficient colouring. So too pale means: Into the cooking pot!
The individual steps
Solid pack apples are delivered pre-sorted in bulk bins and, after quality control, have any foreign bodies and possible residues removed in a water bath. Depending on the size of the fruit, they end up in the peeling machines. The core is removed during the mechanical peeling. Around 80 percent of the apples are then cut, the remaining 20 percent are diced and gently boiled in a kettle for a few minutes under steam and under vacuum. That way all valuable ingredients are preserved. After being filled into cans of 5 or 3 kilograms, or bags of 5 or 10 kilograms, the produce is pasteurised to guarantee a longer shelf life while retaining its full aroma.
Apples, long considered a healthy fruit, hold a secret: they contain precious compounds called polyphenols, known for their antioxidant properties. But what happens to these compounds when apples are cooked? And what is the best cooking method to preserve the benefits of apples?
VOG Products is offering the food and drink industry fermented bases for producing cider and apple cider vinegar - high-quality and individually tailored to customers’ needs.
VOG Products recently added a very special product to its assortment: “apple compote with pieces”, in which the creamy texture of the apple mousse meets apple chunks, resulting in an unforgettable flavour. High-quality steamed apple chunks are combined with apple mousse to create a “ready-to-use” product. This opens up a wide range of uses and applications for customers.
The grand opening of the bee meadow on the Sonnenberg in Kortsch on May 28, 2024, marked another strong commitment by VOG Products to sustainability.
Four out of five of the organic apples processed by VOG Products come from the cultivation of around 600 Bioland farmers in South Tyrol.
Picture: ©Südtiroler Apfelkonsortium
The Kissabel® apple (variety R201) is known around the world for its fruit pulp, which can vary from pink to red. The juice is just as attractive as the apple, mainly because its unique taste and a characteristic red colour ranging from violet to ruby red.
South Tyrol has been the largest organic apple supplier in Europe for many years. That is why the quantities delivered to the fruit processor VOG Products have more than tripled in three years.
Hannes Egger is a mountaineer and "optimiser" in the company.
Puree is an increasingly important product at VOG Products.
Daniel Franco and the balancing act between machine and man.
Ervis Naci from Albania has made the step from worker to head of department.
Each year, VOG Products processes around 350,000 tonnes of apples into juice, puree and concentrate. Water is indispensable in the production process: it serves as cooling and transport water. The company not only uses it carefully, but also several times over.
