Apple harvest peaks in Ostrobothnia as juice stations struggle to keep up with demand

This year’s bumper apple harvest is evident at fresh juice stations in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. A significant quantity of apples has come in, with many ripening two weeks earlier than usual. Juice pressing appointments have been fully booked for some time, making it difficult for new customers to secure a spot. At Päivi Latva-Koivisto’s juice station in Kurikka, the machines are running from morning until evening.

“We’re all surprised by the number of apples, probably the highest in all of Finland,” she says. Similarly, Helena Kukkasmäki of Kukkasmäki Berry Farm in Kauhajoki reports, “We have been pressing apples for 15 years and I have never seen a season like this. Even older people say they’ve never seen this many apples.” Kukkasmäki expresses regret in turning down orders but asserts that it’s unavoidable—September has been fully booked for a long time, preventing them from accepting new clients.

Fortunately, they ordered bulk packaging in advance and received additional supplies. However, delivery delays for carton suppliers have been noted. Local manufacturer Hutek has seen three times the usual number of orders compared to a standard summer, extending delivery times to up to two weeks. Despite the longer wait, the company assures, “We can honestly say that our customers have not been left without packaging.”

Hutek has aimed to deliver part of the orders initially, with the remainder following afterwards to meet the high demand. Meanwhile, Latva-Koivisto emphasizes that apples need to be firm for optimal juice yield, as overly ripe apples produce less juice.