Seasonal fruit

[British Red]

The orchard that we planted a decade ago is finally almost fully productive. Today in the wind I picked 100kg of wonderful apples of interesting varieties that should see us through to March at least. Its great not to be forced to eat plastic wrapped, tasteless imported apples!

 

[Toddy]

I love the sheer range of apples, pears and plums that we grow in the UK
I wish we were better at marketing them so that folks knew more about what grows here, became familiar with them.
Lovely variety of tastes, smells, textures, colours, etc.,

We picked ours just before the downpours and winds began last week. I'm slowly working my way through the buckets, but the quince are ready too, and a friend came by with a load of 'damsons'.....which I confess I've been eating like grapes because they're so sweet and juicy....and we're still picking raspberries too.

It's a busy, beautiful time of year

M

 

[Stew]

Appealing look to them but particularly that fiesta!

 

[Mesquite]

Nice range of apples there Hugh

I'm looking forward going to an apple festival next weekend at Shenley Park near me. I lost count of the different varieties they had when I last went, I think it was around 40 or 50 of eaters and cookers

 

[British Red]

Appealing look to them but particularly that fiesta!

It's a nice apple to eat, but I really like thr Cornish Aromatic or a russet style one called Ashmead's Kernel. There are so many nice varieties out there!

 

[British Red]

Nice range of apples there Hugh

I'm looking forward going to an apple festival next weekend at Shenley Park near me. I lost count of the different varieties they had when I last went, I think it was around 40 or 50 of eaters and cookers

There are so many! Since learning to graft I want to grow dozens....just need more land!

 

[Mesquite]

Found the post I made of the last time I went. Can't believe it was 6 years ago.

Unfortunately the pics got hit by the Photobucket debacle so I'll make sure I post more pics on here this time

 

[Robson Valley]

Harvest time here, too. I gave away the apples from my 2 trees. In return, I got 2 liters of absolutely wonderful apple juice, from MY APPLES!
I found wine makers who really appreciated picking off my vines. In return, I've been given bags of veggies like Brussels Sprouts, potatoes, carrots, celery and so on. The onions are coming but in the meantime, they gave me a bottle of red from my vines and a bottle of rhubarb that I have not opened yet.

Interesting to see the UK apple varieties. No names that I'd recognize like Northern Spy, Honey Crisp, Spartan and others.

 

[British Red]

I often wonder if all the different variety names around the world are actually different or if some get renamed?

 

[slowworm]

Well I've nibbled on a couple of Pigs Noses this year, when I get some time I'll have to pop a list up of our trees. Last year wasn't great but this year we've also got a good crop. I need to sort out a press of some sort for juicing next year.

I'm currently most pleased about the single apple tree we had when we bought this place. First year nothing on it so each winter I set about pruning it to rejuvenate it. 2nd year a few small apples but each year they've got bigger and bigger and this year full sized apples. They also have a very good flavour.

 

[British Red]

Well I've nibbled on a couple of Pigs Noses this year, when I get some time I'll have to pop a list up of our trees. Last year wasn't great but this year we've also got a good crop. I need to sort out a press of some sort for juicing next year.

I'm currently most pleased about the single apple tree we had when we bought this place. First year nothing on it so each winter I set about pruning it to rejuvenate it. 2nd year a few small apples but each year they've got bigger and bigger and this year full sized apples. They also have a very good flavour.

That's excellent news, it can take ages to bring back a neglected tree

 

[Robson Valley]

Apple tree reproduction: As you all know, the flowers are commonly in clusters. The first blossom past the pink stage to open is the "King Bloom." It produces the biggest apple. The rest of the flowers produce smaller apples of varying sizes.

Big apples are the money-makers. Most varieties need to be "fruit-pruned" by physically shaking the trees/branches to knock off the runts that only suck resources. I just pound the branches a couple of times with my fist. Commercially, you will note that the apples shown are singles and doubles and that's all from flower clusters of 4-6 blooms.

Of course, this is entirely impractical with 50 acres of fruit. The pesticide Sevin is also used for fruit thinning/pruning with great efficiency.

People have been messing with apple varieties for centuries. Just the same as they have with domestic livestock breeds. There may be a case for renaming some existing variety but I doubt it. In the UK there are some specimen orchards with hundreds of varieties, some going back into antiquity. Same for Canada. I needed some samples of bugs from one site that boasted of 85 different varieties!

Apple presses need to be substantially stronger that grape presses because of the texture of the fruit. Olives, also. For that reason and fewer apple trees, the apple presses are all the more uncommon in my district. "Press Day" is usually quite a social event with everyone bringing fruit to the press.

The major problem we face that you never will are the black and grizzly bears in the autumn. They're looking for bulk food to fatten up for months of hibernation. There's some risk going out after dark here, the bears are so silent and the people are soft on the outside and crunchy in the middles.

 

[slowworm]

Here's some of our harvest. They look a bit scraggly as the trees are growing in a woodland, but they're good to eat. Clockwise from top left, Howgate Wonder (very large cookers but the flesh is sweet enough and very good for an eating apple), Court of Wick (small eating apples), Cornish Aromatic and Newton Wonder, both eating apples.

 

[British Red]

I love Cornish Aromatic!