Josep Maria Font – Giropoma

Granny Smith: The perfect acidity for salty and refreshing dishes

Granny Smith apple is one of the most recognized varieties worldwide, known for its intense green color and its characteristic flavor, fresh and acid. This unique personality makes it the ideal candidate for salty dishes, surprising combinations and refreshing drinks.

Granny Smith stands out for:

Sour and refreshing taste, which provides a vibrant contrast in salty dishes.
A firm and crispy pulp that maintains its texture even after being cooked.
Fresh and intense aromas that evoke herbaceous and citrus notes.

These characteristics make it especially versatile in the kitchen and very appreciated by consumers looking for a different taste experience.

Gastronomic ideas with Granny Smith

Its natural acidity opens up a range of culinary possibilities:

Meat sauces: Granny Smith is perfect for making reductions and bittersweet sauces that pair with duck, pork or chicken.
Salads with blue cheese: the contrast between the creaminess of the cheese and the fresh acidity of the apple creates an irresistible combination.
Ceviches and seafood dishes: it brings freshness and balance to dishes with raw fish, enhancing citrus flavors.
Drinks with acid touches: in cocktails, Granny Smith can be used to give an innovative, fresh and sophisticated touch to any special occasion.

With its characteristic acidity and versatility, Granny Smith is not only a delicious and healthy option for direct consumption, but also becomes a gastronomic ally capable of elevating salty dishes, creative recipes and innovative drinks.

Apart from Granny Smith, Giropoma also produces, Golden, Red Delicious and Gala, all recognized within the IGP Poma de Girona. And also Fuji and club varieties such as Cripps Pink, marketed as Pink Lady®, Regalyou, as Candine® and Cripps Red, as Joya.

Giropoma participates in Fruit Attraction 2025, which unveiled new pavilions and highlighted innovation and sustainability

Giropoma has participated once again in the Fruit Attraction 2025 Fair, which was held in Madrid from September 30 to October 2. This is one of the most important events worldwide for the marketing of fruit and vegetables and has established itself as a strategic meeting point for operators, retailers, and professionals in the sector.

This year’s edition stood out for the addition of new pavilions, a new feature that has made it possible to expand the exhibition area and improve the division into geographical areas. Fruit Attraction thus reinforces its role as a driver of commercial connections at a key moment for planning campaigns and opening new markets.

Innovation and knowledge at the heart of the fair

With the premises of marketing, innovation, quality, and knowledge, Fruit Attraction 2025 has presented itself as the promotional tool par excellence for the fruit and vegetable sector, with the aim of boosting international activity and enhancing interaction between all players in the value chain.

One of the most notable areas was the Innovation Hub, which brought together the latest developments and the best products and services from exhibitors. This area also hosted the Innovation Hub Awards, which recognize the most disruptive solutions in the sector.

New this year were the Best Stand Awards, which recognized the most surprising, innovative, and sustainable spaces, as voted on by attendees.

Since its inception, Giropoma has been present at the Fruit Attraction Fair, which has become an ideal space for strengthening customer relationships, establishing synergies, and exploring new business opportunities. Participation in the 2025 edition reaffirms the company’s commitment to innovation, quality, and internationalization, three key points for addressing the current challenges facing the fruit and vegetable sector.

Perfect ripeness: when is the best time to harvest our apples?

Harvesting an apple at just the right moment is key to ensuring it reaches the consumer with the best taste, texture, and color. The optimal point is when the fruit has a perfect balance between sweetness, acidity, firmness, and color.

Sugar level: determines the sweetness of the fruit
Acidity: balances the sugars and defines the final tasteç
Firmness: indicates the hardness of the flesh
Color: each variety has color parameters that indicate when to harvest

At Giropoma, we use very precise technical criteria to decide when to harvest each variety. The aim is to ensure that each apple has the size, taste, and appearance that provide the most value to the consumer.

Each variety has its own calendar

Not all apples ripen at the same rate. Varieties such as Gala reach their peak earlier, while others, such as Pink Lady® or Joya®, need more time on the tree to achieve their optimal taste and appearance. That is why the harvest calendar is flexible and adapted to each season. The goal is always the same: to harvest the apple at the exact moment when it expresses the best of its taste and appearance.

Gala: during the month of August, it is one of the first varieties to be harvested.
Golden: in mid-September, when it achieves its characteristic sweetness and greenish-yellow color.
Red Delicious: in September, when it reaches its intense red color.
Candine®: a late September variety, with a very fine balance between sweetness and freshness.
Granny Smith: in October, harvested at just the right point of refreshing acidity.
Fuji: also in October, with the perfect balance between sweetness and firmness.
Pink Lady®: one of the last to be harvested, in late October and November, when it achieves its characteristic pink color and intense flavor.
Joya®: harvested between November and December, it is the last of the season and stands out for its crunchy texture and intense flavor.

At Giropoma, we carefully select each apple, respecting its natural ripening time so that it reaches the market in peak condition.

Technical exchange and innovation: Giropoma in Piemonte

From July 20 to 22, Giropoma participated in a technical trip to Piemonte, one of Italy’s most important apple-producing regions. The meeting provided an opportunity to explore aspects of varietal innovation, production, sustainability, and automation, as well as to exchange experiences with key players in the sector.

The trip began with a visit to the Agrion Research Center, which acts as a link between research and the production sector. There, ongoing projects related to new varieties, plant protection strategies, and sustainable practices were presented.

A meeting was also held with local technicians to share experiences on thinning strategies, the effects of climate change, and new pests. The exchange was very enriching and allowed parallels to be drawn with the reality of Girona, as did the visits to the farms of the Coldiretti and Coop Jolly s.c. groups, where different training systems and varietal strategies were demonstrated.

The trip ended with a visit to the Rivoira Group’s logistics center, where the strong commitment to digitization and automation was evident. The warehouse has state-of-the-art storage and calibration towers, AGV carts, vertical warehouses, and highly robotized packaging lines.

The technical trip to Piemont was a valuable experience for understanding the productive reality of this region, which has many points in common with our own.

The Gala: the ideal choice for families

At Giropoma, we work every day to offer apples of the highest quality, taking care of every detail of the production process and bringing varieties to market that meet the needs of consumers. Among them, the Gala apple stands out as a favorite of many families, especially for its sweetness and crunchy texture, which make it the perfect choice for young and old alike.

The Gala is an apple known for its sweet taste with a hint of tartness and juicy, crunchy flesh that makes it very appealing to children. Its red color on a creamy yellow background also makes it a visually appealing and easily recognizable fruit.

Gala apples in family cooking

The versatility of Gala apples makes them ideal for everyday family meals:

– Healthy snacks: sliced apples with a dash of lemon juice, combined with soft cheese or a handful of nuts.
– Children’s dishes: fresh salads with apple pieces; or mini fruit skewers with apple, grapes, and strawberries.
– School snacks and meals: soft muffins with apple pieces; or quick microwave compote with a little cinnamon.
– Refreshing drinks: taking advantage of its natural sweetness, Gala apples are perfect for making smoothies with milk or plant-based drinks and mixing with banana or red berries, without the need to add sugar.

It is one of the most widely produced varieties, thanks to its popularity among families. It is harvested at the end of summer, and our region offers optimal climatic conditions that guarantee quality and flavor.

In addition to Gala, Giropoma also produces Fuji, Golden, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith apples, all recognized under the Girona Apple PGI. It also produces club varieties such as Cripps Pink, marketed as Pink Lady®, Regalyou, as Candine®, and Cripps Red, as Joya®.

The Summer Fruit Conference and the presentation ceremony for the first apple from Girona mark the start of the 2025 harvest

Giropoma attended the Summer Fruit Conference once again this year, the leading technical meeting for the sector, held on August 6 at the Mas Badia Institute for Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) in La Tallada d’Empordà.

This edition brought together professionals from the sector to learn first-hand about the latest results of research and innovation projects. New selections of the Gala variety and early varieties were presented, along with strategies for controlling dormancy in situations where there are insufficient hours of cold weather, and solutions for combating gray aphids and Glomerella. New technologies were also showcased, such as InterraScan for soil mapping, variable applications of plant protection products, on-board cameras for monitoring size, and digital tools such as FruitMeasureApp and Miramiro.

The following day, August 7, the company attended the symbolic ceremony marking the harvest of the first Girona Apple 2025, organized by the Girona Apple Protected Geographical Indication, also at IRTA Mas Badia. At this event, which officially marks the start of the harvest, a forecast of 89,370 tons was announced, highlighting the optimal quality of the fruit and the ongoing varietal renewal. The ceremony was attended by institutional and industry representatives, with painter Lluís Roura as the guest of honor.

These two events reaffirm Giropoma’s commitment to innovation, quality, and the promotion of Girona apples, combining tradition and new technologies to maintain the competitiveness and prestige of the product everywhere.

Giropoma forecasts a new high quality harvest thanks to weather conditions

This new season’s apples are expected to be of very good quality, despite the fact that production will be slightly lower than last year. The weather conditions, which have been very favourable throughout the production cycle, have been key to obtaining high quality fruit with an excellent taste profile.

In this sense, this year’s spring has been particularly beneficial, with rainfall that has favoured optimum fruit development and has allowed significant savings in irrigation water. These conditions have contributed to obtaining apples with good size, firmness and a high sugar content, a fact that foresees a season with very good prospects in terms of quality.

Even so, for years, Giropoma has been committed to efficient and sustainable water management, with the use of irrigation systems based on soil humidity sensors. This technology makes it possible to optimise water resources, while ensuring the water needs of the crops and maintaining the quality standards that characterise the company’s production.

Thus, the new harvest will begin this August with the Gala variety, which will kick off a season marked by effort, innovation and commitment to local, healthy, quality fruit. This is a striated apple with a red colour on a burnt yellow background, crunchy, sweet and with a touch of acid that gives it a very good balance of flavour. Its optimum harvesting time is in August, and it can be found on the market until March.

About the varieties of Giropoma

Giropoma currently markets eight different varieties of apple, one of which is Gala, but there are also other varieties such as Golden, Red Delicious and Granny Smith, all under the umbrella of the Manzana de Girona PGI. They also produce Fuji and three club varieties: Regalyou, marketed under the Candine® brand; Cripps Pink, under the Pink Lady® brand; and Cripps Red, under the Joya® brand.

All these types are ideal for maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. They are high in water, vitamins and minerals, have antioxidant properties and are rich in fibre, which helps the digestive system to function properly and contributes to preventing cardiovascular problems and inflammatory diseases.

The Golden: the star of homemade desserts

If there is one apple that has won the hearts of our home cooks, it is the Golden apple. Its natural sweetness, greenish-yellow color with a slight golden hue and its crunchy and juicy texture make it one of the most versatile and beloved varieties, especially when it comes to traditional desserts.

In the home kitchen, the Golden has played a leading role for decades. It is ideal for preparing cakes, compotes or baked apples, but it also adapts to savory recipes and seasonal dishes.

Recipes that never go out of style

A good apple pie made with Golden retains its sweet taste without adding too much sugar. In addition, it keeps its shape and caramelizes smoothly, providing an irresistible texture. In the case of applesauce, the pulp melts easily and offers a natural mellowness that is perfect with yogurts, fresh cheeses or meat dishes. And if we talk about baked apples, with a little honey, cinnamon and nuts it becomes a healthy and very tasty dessert.

The Golden apple in Catalan cuisine

Although it is often associated with confectionery, the Golden apple also has a lot to say in traditional Catalan cuisine. It is ideal for reinterpreting classic dishes and giving them a fresh and natural touch:

– Duck with apple, usually made with more acidic varieties, gains a mellower and softer point with Golden.
– The carving of the Cerdanya with sautéed apple brings contrast and a texture that balances the whole.
– And even the “coca de recaudo”, if we add thin slices of Golden, gains a new dimension between sweet and salty.

A variety with character

Giropoma is grown under the quality standards of the IGP Manzana de Girona, a fact that guarantees not only its origin and freshness, but also the commitment to sustainable production, respectful of the land and the consumer.

Its organoleptic qualities are clear: a sweet and balanced taste with a slightly acid touch, a white and consistent pulp, and very aromatic.
In addition to Golden, the apple producer and marketer also produces Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious and Granny Smith, all recognized within the Manzana de Girona PGI. And also club varieties such as Cripps Pink, marketed as Pink Lady®, Regalyou, as Candine® and Cripps Red, as Joya®.

The role of insects in apple production

Insects play a fundamental role in the production cycle of apple trees and are part of a natural balance that must be understood, managed and preserved. Giropoma works with a model that values sustainability, biodiversity and respect for the environment, integrating practices that favor useful insects.

The main beneficial insects present in the fields are pollinators, such as bees and bumblebees, which play an essential role in the pollination process of apple blossoms. Adequate pollination contributes directly to better fruit quantity and quality, influencing aspects such as apple size and symmetry.

On the other hand, there is a great variety of insects that act as natural auxiliaries in pest control, among which the most important are the syrphids, ladybugs, lacewings and vespa parasitoids. These organisms help to reduce the presence of harmful insects in the fields in a natural way, favoring a more environmentally friendly production.

Giropoma follows the principles of integrated production, a farming system that combines agronomic efficiency with respect for the environment. Within this framework, all actions carried out in the fields are planned and executed taking into account the impact they may have on beneficial insects, with the aim of preserving the activity and ensuring continuity.

In order to conserve and improve the habitats of these insects, several concrete measures are implemented:

Plant covers with spontaneous or planted vegetation, between the lines of apple trees, implemented on all our farms.
Respect for the natural margins of the farms, which act as ecological corridors and biodiversity refuges.
Occasional installation of insect hotels on certain farms, with the aim of providing nesting and shelter spaces for useful insects.

The integration of these elements into agricultural management is part of the company’s commitment to sustainable and responsible production, which prioritizes not only product quality, but also the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. Protecting insects is not only a necessity for production, but also a way of acting responsibly towards the territory and future generations.

Fuji, the queen of healthy snacks, salads and sauces

The Fuji apple has established itself as one of the most versatile and valued varieties on the market. Its sweet and intense flavor, combined with a juicy and crunchy texture, make it the ideal choice for both fresh consumption and cooking.

A natural and nutritious snack

It is perfect as a snack between meals. It is rich in fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants, essential nutrients to maintain a strong immune system and promote digestion. In addition, it provides energy in a natural way.

Ideal for balanced salads

Thanks to its consistent texture and balanced taste, Fuji maintains its structure without oxidizing easily. Its sweet and mild flavor perfectly balances ingredients such as vegetables, nuts or cheeses. It provides a refreshing contrast and a touch of sweetness that enriches any salad, whether cold or warm.

An excellent base for healthy sauces

Fuji’s natural sweetness allows the preparation of sauces and compotes without added sugar. It is an ideal variety for meat sauces, chutneys and purees, as it cooks easily and retains its characteristic aroma.

At Giropoma we select and care for each apple from the tree to the table. Our production model, based on sustainable agricultural practices and harvesting at the optimal moment of ripening, guarantees tasty fruit of the highest quality.

In addition to Fuji, Giropoma also produces other varieties such as Gala, Golden, Red Delicious and Granny Smith, which are under the umbrella of the PGI Manzana de Girona, and the club varieties, Cripps Pink marketed under the Pink Lady® brand, Regalyou marketed under the Candine® brand and Cripps Red marketed under the Joya® brand.