Weather: The secret ingredient behind the perfect apple
This fall, when you bite into a perfectly sweet apple, you’re baking a pie, or drinking some cider, you’ve got mother nature and Canada's dedicated farming families to thank for those core memories of the season.
It’s finally fall… Crisp mornings, cool breezes, and tasty treats are on the menu.
From the time apples blossom in May until the fall harvest, weather has a big impact on what happens between the time it goes into your glass or onto your plate.
As we enter the peak of the apple season, I met Jay Howell—a seventh-generation apple farmer at Brantview Apples and Cider—to get his take on how farmers are harvesting memories of summer weather in the taste of every autumn apple.
“The weather [significantly affects] the Brix level in the apples,” he said. “I mean, obviously we need sunshine, we need some heat, but we also need moisture. So, yeah, we're very, very, very dependent on Mother Nature.”
Those Brix levels Howell's talking about are the measurement of the sugar content within a plant. Sunlight, water, and soil nutrients are the key factors needed to ensure an excellent harvest.
And Brantview is uniquely placed to get a big boost from Mother Nature.
Brix level explainer (Canva/The Weather Network)
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“We have our own little microclimate,” Howell explained. “We are on a ridge, we're on a hill, we're open bottom. Our land is sandy loam. We do get adequate moisture most years, which is ideal for apple production and cider production.”
All of these elements combined makes for some amazing apples that get turned into fall favourites like donuts and pastries, apple cider, and even hard cider.
Fall offers the perfect time for families to get out and enjoy the harvest of the season. And what better place to do that than a family-owned business like Brantview Apples and Cider!
Visit our Complete Guide to Fall 2025 for an in depth look at the Fall Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
(Header image courtesy of Tom Swinnen/Pexels)