teaser: Since the 1980s, the long-awaited almond harvest has increasingly had to submit to the global economic powers from Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, farmers on Mallorca know how to use their treasures profitably.
How does the almond harvest work in Mallorca?
The almond harvest in Mallorca begins in September, when harvesters shake the fruits from the trees using iron rods. After the almonds have been collected and transported in cotton bags, they are mechanically separated from branches and leaves, peeled and packaged.
Traditional almond harvest
After the almonds begin to ripen in June, farmers originally looked forward to the autumn harvest. The magnificent blossom of the almond tree meant that a bountiful harvest could be expected.
At the beginning of the autumn month of September, the almond fruits were shaken from the trees. They were read out with the support of many hard-working hands. Finally, they go to appropriate factories to be cleaned and cracked.
Today these processes have been integrated into large industrial processes.
Complex processes
On sunny days in September, wide safety nets are spread out under the almond trees. Harvesters shake the almonds from the tree with the help of iron rods. Many withered branches and old leaves also fall down. In the next step, the magnificent harvest is tipped into cotton sacks and transported for further processing.
Branches and twigs are separated from the almond fruits by machine. They are then carefully peeled and packaged. In some areas, even harvest workers are now being replaced by machines. However, since the rent for electric tree shakers (€67.00 on Amazon) is very high, there is often no lucrative profit for the farmers.
Compromises on four legs
For this reason, the almonds are not harvested in low-yielding vintages. In this way they fall from the tree alone and serve as food for pigs. On Mallorca, these animal species have adapted over time to cracking the hard almond shell.
However, poor harvests are occurring more and more often, which are the result of almond trees that are not cared for. If they are not pruned annually, these trees will die after just 3 to 4 years.
This decay is already leaving clear traces on Mallorca:
- Since the beginning of 2000, the cultivated area has halved from 30,000 hectares to 15,000.
- Gourmet chefs, however, appreciate these delicacies of pure almonds.
- Pure almonds are often stretched with other ingredients.
Tips & Tricks
On Mallorca there are still a few pure almond products. These are available at the Palma organic market. The Sunday market in Santa María also offers these natural, quality items.