NERETVA TANGERINE USHUI

Tangarine production is a significant economic activity in the Neretva valley. The main sort of tangerines is Unshiu (Citrus unshiu Marc.), which was introduced into this area about 40 years ago. Its characteristics include higher resistance to  low temperatures and a higher  percentage of dry matter compared to other sorts of Mediterranean tangerines. Analyzing eight representative areas, a good supply level with macro elements has been stated, while the supply level with microelements is significantly poorer. When it comes to the macroelements, there is the lack of three key elements for the tangerine growing - boron, iron, and mangan. At the same time, higher quantity of natrium in the soil has been measured as the result of using low-quality irrigation water. Since almost 90 % of the total number of tangerine trees in Croatia is found in the area mentioned, the theme discussed is even more significant.

APPLES: IDARED ,GOLDEN DELICIOUS ,GRANNY SMITH, JONAGOLD

The most common sorts of apple in Croatia.

The Idared has a white flesh with a firm body, and generally considered to be tart and juicy. For these reasons, it is very well suited for making apple sauces, pies, and cakes. Idared is harvested at the end of September to the middle of October. It remains hardy and durable till the end of January, and can even last until June with proper storage.

Golden Delicious is a large, yellow skinned cultivar and very sweet to the taste. It is prone to bruising and shriveling, so it needs careful handling and storage. It is sweeter than the Granny Smith and is a favorite for salads, apple sauce, and apple butter.

Granny Smith: acidic. It is an uncompromising crisp hard apple with a very sharp taste. However, served slightly chilled it can also be very refreshing, and works well in salads. Nevertheless, its share of the international market is on the decline, with supermarkets preferring to sell bi-coloured varieties with a sweeter flavour.

Jonagold is a large apple, and makes a substantial snack. If you are struggling to eat your 5 portions of fruit and veg per day, this can help.
The colouring is yellow of Golden Delicious, with large flushes of red. This is a crisp apple to bite into, with gleaming white flesh. The flavour is sweet but with a lot of acidity.

VEGETABLES

Climatic and geographic variety and long tradition of cultivation are the main reason of vegetable variety in Croatia. Vegetable is grown on 136.875 ha (2002) and most of it is in private property. Main characteristic is high quality of natural grown products.