Mirko and Annabell Vlček from Pivnice grow organic fruit. In addition to marketing this fruit as raw material, this married couple also processes the fruit into juices. We visited their household to get answers to the question – what is needed and what does the production of organic juices look like?
Organic juices – fruit quality at the highest level
As Mirko explained to us, this household has orchards of apples, pears, peaches and apricots. The first class of these products is placed on the market and via home delivery. Fruits that have a few spots or are irregular in shape are processed and juices are made from those fruits.
On this farm, fruit quality is a priority. As Mirko explained to us, the fruit must be completely healthy, completely clean, of organic origin and then it can be processed and made into quality juice.
“We are currently on a plot that is in organic status. This means that no chemistry is used here, everything is done in a natural way, preparations are used that are natural and do not pollute the product or the environment.
That’s how we function, as we try to sell as many products as raw materials as possible. What remains, what is in surplus, we use for processing. So it is not only Class II that goes into processing. This year we had surplus strawberries that were in the first class, but they arrived on May 1st when the markets were closed. We had to redo that 1st class tour”, explains Mirko.
Processing machines make the job easier
Mirko took us through the premises where fruit is packed and processed.
,,We have a machine for pressing fruit, squeezing juices, then we have a masher for mashing tomatoes or fruit, a duplicator for cooking, a fruit mill and there in the corner is a shepherd’s tub. If a larger amount of fruit needs to be processed, we can do it more easily with these machines than in the traditional classic way on a stove or cauldron. Since these machines are for professional processing”, explained the host.
Most of the work on this household is done within the family, but there are also workers to help.
Goat cheese from Pivnice is made with love, and it even reaches Slovakia!
Quality organic juices always find their way to the customer
Mirko’s wife Annabell Vlček is in charge of product certification and the entire process, logistics, marketing, promotion and sales, as well as communication with customers.
As she explained to us, they make combinations of juices from the fruits that are currently available, that is, from seasonal fruits, which they partially produce themselves, but also purchase from other organic producers. These are most often apples, pears, apricots, strawberries, cherries, raspberries and blackberries.
These producers are creative when it comes to taste, so in their offer you can find very different and interesting combinations of fruits in juices.
“This is pure squeezed fruit, we squeeze it on a press, no added water, no added sugar, so it’s just fruit, no special recipe is needed, when it comes to pure fruit”, Anabell explains in more detail the essence of the processing technology.
“One press holds 80-90 kg of fruit, and from that amount we get about 50 liters of juice,” continues the housewife. In terms of placement, Annabell points out that for the quantity they produce, they have no problem finding customers.
“First of all, we sell our juices at the organic markets in Novi Sad and Belgrade, and we also have a developed home delivery system, where there is a great demand for juices during the winter,” explains Annabell.
Regarding the certification, the hostess explained what all needs to be obtained. “Essentially, all the raw materials we use are certified organic. The certification process is complex, but it is necessary in order to prove that we have a quality product, that the raw material is of quality”.
In addition to the recommendations of satisfied customers, this married couple realized that the opportunity to expand the circle of customers is also in the use of social networks. As Annabell explained to us at the end, the customers for now are mostly families with small children, for whom it is important to get quality products.
Source: www.agromedia.rs
