La Calleville and the frequin rouge or even the cemetery of Blangy… More than a hundred varieties of apples grow in Normandy, for some for centuries… The region, land of fruits and delicacies, has more than 8000 hectares of orchards in 8 departments.
So to admire the crates piling up on improbable heights and carrying their shades of yellow, orange and red, head to the markets of the Pays d'Auge in the fall.
To discover
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Between markets and direct sales
Place de la République, in
Lisieux
, on Saturdays, the market is huge.
Local traders rub shoulders with individuals, called “little baskets”, who come to sell their surplus harvest.
On their stalls, jewels picked up when the apple is the most loaded with sugar, the result of real know-how.
The whole region comes here to get it, fresh from the tree.
Firm and juicy, these fruits will never experience the pangs of the cold room where most of their counterparts wait for months before reaching the shelves of supermarkets.
Much smaller but worthy of a postcard, sheltered under 12th century halls, the Monday morning market in
Saint-Pierre-en-Auge
, in Calvados, is also a must when it comes to apples.
To pick them yourself, go to the Alleaume family in
Fourneville
at the beginning of October .
Here, everyone hurries and follows the course, from tree to tree, pushing their wheelbarrow.
If you miss the harvest, which does not wait, the orchard sells its still fresh apples the following weeks and the prices remain derisory.
Read alsoOn the Norman lands of the Pays d'Auge, a walk in the land of Camembert
On the road to cider... and flour
Five years ago, Antoine Marois took over the family farm in Cambremer (Calvados) and uses his experience as a winemaker to produce exceptional ciders.
Lucile Escourrou / Le Figaro
The apple is transformed in Normandy, whether it is "on the knife" and ends up on our plates, or in cider.
In recent years, we have witnessed a revival of the latter.
Far from the rustic and traditional image, some young producers are reinventing cider like Antoine Marois.
This former agricultural engineer chose to settle on his grandparents' farm in
Cambremer
.
On their land, he has planted high-stem orchards where the cows of a neighboring breeder come to graze on the grass.
This is where he has his latest cuvées tasted by appointment.
"Casus Belli", the signature of this cider maker like no other, is an apple wine with a nice bitterness, slightly more alcoholic and less effervescent than a simple cider.
Another discovery to bring back in your luggage, ciders on which Antoine Marois practices a pellicular maceration of Pineau d'Aunis from a winegrower friend for this year.
In 2023, enthusiasts will be able to test ciders macerated on Riesling and Mondeuse de Savoie marc.
Fari'pommes is apple spent grain (skin, central part, pips and pulp) transformed into flour!
Press picture
On the juice side, nothing beats the experience of the press.
In
Épaignes
, you bring your harvest and the association Les 3 pomme épagnoles helps you to make your own juice, but nothing prevents the curious without an orchard from taking a look and leaving with a bottle and... flour from apple.
This latest invention is made from the pulp resulting from the pressing and, gluten-free, with a caramelized flavor, partly replaces wheat flour in pastries.
Push the door of the nearby artisanal chocolate factory La Royale Normande, where gluten-free “Palets Normans” are made with this Fari’pommes, but buttered according to the rules of the art like Breton palets.
Read alsoOn the cider route in Normandy, our best addresses
The apple, a well-being product
Cradle of Impressionism, this Relais & Châteaux is one of Normandy's best-kept secrets.
Photo press / La Ferme Saint Siméon
It is from this associative press in the Pays d'Auge that the juice of the apples from the orchard of
La Ferme Saint-Siméon comes.
.
Located on the heights of Honfleur, this hotel, a former farm inn frequented by Claude Monet and Gustave Courbet, no longer has a wine press but, in its historic location, the last rooms of the establishment have been built.
A luxury stopover where every detail is thought out, from the latest Hi-Fi to the hammam showers in each bathroom.
To perfect this moment, give yourself a massage “Under the apple trees”, scented with essential oils of the precious fruit.
If the experience is worth the detour, it's thanks to Patricia Verbes, the spa manager and French massage champion in 2019, who knew how to unite her team around her.
Most of the practitioners on the team have also won competitions under his leadership.
Result: reception and care of exceptional quality.
Guided tour of La Ferme Saint-Siméon
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Relaxed and revitalized, a light scent of apple in your wake, all you have to do then is take a seat around a table at La Boucane, the hotel's bistronomic address.
Matthieu Pouleur, the chef, subtly handles the local balsamic vinegar "Le Paulmier", made between the Camembert and Livarot valleys.
A vinegar where the acidity of the apple brings freshness, avoiding the pitfall of the often too syrupy balsamic.
After the catch of the day or a rib of beef grilled on the fireplace, play the final point around the apple: the house fine tart and its creamy calva ice cream, a creation that is worth the detour in itself.
Read alsoLa Ferme Saint-Siméon in Honfleur, the expert opinion of
Le Figaro
Between calvados and gin
Designed by Guillaume Drouin according to the art of blending great eaux-de-vie, this artisanal gin comes from the encounter of a distillate in small pot stills of Normandy ciders.
Press picture
To perfect this weekend around the apple, you have to meet Calvados, the ultimate transformation of this fruit.
In the Touques valley, a few kilometers from Deauville, Guillaume Drouin welcomes the curious and lovers of this Norman eau-de-vie to his Norman farm.
Passionate, this cellar master likes to show visitors his still artisanal distillery.
We discover vintages dating back more than 80 years and those most interested can book a course to assemble their own Calvados.
Children will enjoy while waiting for the house apple juice, as for cocktail lovers, they will discover the only apple-based gin, of which 30 varieties of the fruit and 8 herbs are used in the composition, a creation by Guillaume Drouin which seduces mixologists around the world.
Read alsoCalvados, pommeau, perry... “Spiritour” in the Normandy orchard
Granny Smith's gilthead sea bream tartare from Jardins de Coppelia.
Lucile Escourrou / Le Figaro
Finally, before leaving Normandy, push open the doors of the
Jardins de Coppelia
.
This elegant mansion transformed into a hotel sits enthroned in the middle of an orchard.
The restaurant's chef, Damien Frémont, celebrates autumn there with a gilthead sea bream tartare from Granny Smith seasoned with nasturtium flowers!
Read alsoHotel Les Jardins de Coppélia near Honfleur, the expert opinion of
Le Figaro
