Just speculating, I don't really know, but could it be the dry conditions
and hot weather? Perhaps there are too many apples for the tree to provide
sap for, so it is maybe shedding a few? So in other words, the apples aren't
ripe, hence the 'woody' taste but are being shed simply because there is not
not enough water to sustain the number of apples on the tree?
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/