Tessa® was born out of a close encounter between Gala and Pink Rose. It was a treenursery who brought these two beautiful apples together and so it happened that Tessa® saw the light of day.
Now she lives a fruitful life in a variety of countries where she is locally grown. From the fertile riverlands to the beautiful Alps known for their fruit-growing tradition.
We can go on and on about how the name Tessa® came to be. But actually, who cares? A story about name Theresia which has its origins in the Greek word ‘theros’, which means ‘warmth, summer and harvest’ is quite dull, right?
This is where the life cycle of Tessa® begins. Her trees are planted by growers during autumn or spring, as soon as the leaves fall from the trees. And then the growers wait… It takes 1 or 2 years for apple trees to start growing fruit. No, they are not lazy, but need their branches to reach a certain state of maturity with a stash of nutrients to bear apples.
Trees get sleepy during winter. They lose all their leaves, and enter their dormancy period. During that time, growers prepare the trees for the coming cycle. They prune any unnecessary branches to give the tree all the power it needs to grow those beautiful apples and to maximize their sunlight exposure.
Blossoming during spring is key to a successful harvest in October. To get the most out of the short pollination period, which ranges from 2 to 10 days, we partner up with beekeepers. They bring the bees into the orchard and help us to transform a beautiful flower into some delicious apples.
If in these weeks the temperature drops to freezing level at night, the apple orchards are sprinkled: Finely condensed droplets of water cover the blossoms, freeze and protect them against the cold and possible frost damages. After these so-called Frosty Nights the frozen blossoms sparkle in the first sunlight.
The grower then selects the flowers with the best exposure to sunlight in order not to overburden the tree and obtain fruit with the right size and colour.
Summer is here. The time that the small apples start to grow and develop their characteristic taste. Growers remove any damaged, deformed or excess fruits, so that the fruits are evenly distributed across the tree and have enough space to grow.
At the end of the summer or beginning of autumn, the grower strips the tree of excess leaves by hand or with a blow. This helps the apples to get maximal sunlight. The grower also makes sure that the trees get properly irrigated. Ground sensors collect data and help the grower to provide the trees with the right amount of water and nutrients, without any waste.
Did you know that apples can get a sunburn? The sun helps apples to ripen and to get their natural red tan, but too much sunshine can, well, be too much. So most apple growers use overhead sprinklers to cool orchard canopies on hot days. Also, hail can damage the apples. Therefore, some apples growers use hail nets to prevent hail damaging the apples.
In September great temperature variations between day and night boost the colour of the apples. The cooler the nights and the sunnier the days, the more colourful the apple will be.
Tessa® is only harvested when ripe. The growers pick their apples by hand from the end of September till the end of October. This happens in several phases to make sure only the ripest apples are being selected. The rest of them will get more time to get the right color.
A wonderful and extraordinary taste. Hard and crunchy on the outside, sweet on the inside.
Tastes pleasantly aromatic, sweet, juicy, with low tartness.
Sustainably grown by selected growers: this ensures premium and consistent quality.
Sustainably packaged, we reduce the use of plastic with - for instance - a plastic free foodtainer.
Good shelf life.
Tessa® stays nice and crunchy,
