In article ,
wrote:

Further to my Ida Red thread, I bought some Red Delicious apples from
a supermarket(sorry) and I have to say that it did not live up to it's
name ;(

Do home grown ones taste any better?

Apparently both Golden and Red Delicious can, indeed, be delicious
when you grow them at home. The trick is that you must eat them
off the tree - do not under any circumstances detach the apple from
the granch until you have finished.

We had a 50-year old tree like that (though it wasn't either), and
ended up using some of the apples for cooking and leaving the rest
to fall and rot.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
In article ,
wrote:

Further to my Ida Red thread, I bought some Red Delicious apples from
a supermarket(sorry) and I have to say that it did not live up to it's
name ;(

Do home grown ones taste any better?

Apparently both Golden and Red Delicious can, indeed, be delicious
when you grow them at home. The trick is that you must eat them
off the tree - do not under any circumstances detach the apple from
the granch until you have finished.

We had a 50-year old tree like that (though it wasn't either), and
ended up using some of the apples for cooking and leaving the rest
to fall and rot.

I have a Worcester, and straight from the tree and for a few days later
the apples are lovely, fresh and delicate. But we had too many this year
to eat them straight away, and the ones still in storage are, frankly,
boring. I shall probably end up cooking them with lots of sultanas and
cinnamon.

In fact, I definitely will, now the Allingtons Pippins have come in with
their fresh, crisp 'straight off the tree' taste which they keep even
after being stored. And the Cornish Aromatic and Brownlees Russet have
got good crops too ...
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
In article ,
wrote:

Further to my Ida Red thread, I bought some Red Delicious apples from
a supermarket(sorry) and I have to say that it did not live up to it's
name ;(

Do home grown ones taste any better?

Apparently both Golden and Red Delicious can, indeed, be delicious
when you grow them at home. The trick is that you must eat them
off the tree - do not under any circumstances detach the apple from
the granch until you have finished.

If you have never had a "good" apple then both Red or Golden Delicious taste
fabulous....almost like chocolate and one's individual tastebuds....I grew
up on Rowntrees and Cadbury's and dislike Yankee chocolate whereas wifey
loves Yankee 'stuff' as comapred to R or C's.....H

The message
from Kay contains these words:

I have a Worcester, and straight from the tree and for a few days later
the apples are lovely, fresh and delicate. But we had too many this year
to eat them straight away, and the ones still in storage are, frankly,
boring. I shall probably end up cooking them with lots of sultanas and
cinnamon.

I've been looking round for a sensible place for an apple tree, and it's
not easy. The obvious spot is a no-no because it's right next to the
septic tank, and I don't want that damaged by roots.

Instead, I've a notion to take out the Lonicera hedge along the bottom
of the garden and make a sort-of multiple horizontal cordon matrix of
various fruits, apples included. The aspect is ideal, as the hedge runs
almost due west-east. I have in mind apricots, Japanese quince, some
sort of plum/damson which will take pruning and training, possibly a fig
or two, some mahonia, maybe a portugese quince, but no cherries, as the
hedge can hardly be netted.

Some of the fruit may be a bit small, as primarily it will be a hedge,
but why not have a hedge which is productive? I might put high posts in
and stretch wires above it, and have blackberries, loganberries, etc
trained on them.

One problem is the loke down the side - while it isn't frequented by the
population of the village, it might become a magnet...

Any suggestions for other suitable (hardy) fruiting or useful shrubs welcomed.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
wrote:

Further to my Ida Red thread, I bought some Red Delicious apples from
a supermarket(sorry) and I have to say that it did not live up to it's
name ;(

Do home grown ones taste any better?

Were they french?

If they were, that is the problem, I never ever buy french apples as I find
them completely tastless.

Alan

The message
from "middleton.walker" contains these words:

If you have never had a "good" apple then both Red or Golden Delicious
taste
fabulous....almost like chocolate and one's individual tastebuds....I grew
up on Rowntrees and Cadbury's and dislike Yankee chocolate whereas wifey
loves Yankee 'stuff' as comapred to R or C's.....H

Ah, I'm on your side. It is alleged that Hershey bars were always made
with slightly sour milk, not deliberately, but because of the distances
milk had to travel to the factory.

At least one shop in Norwich keeps hershey bars specially for the USAF
personnel in the area, and I tried one [1]. I didn't actively dislike
it, but I preferred the home-grown stuff.

[1] The Hershey bar, not someone in the USAF.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Alan Holmes" contains these words:

Do home grown ones taste any better?

Were they french?

If they were, that is the problem, I never ever buy french apples as I find
them completely tastless.

It's not their Frenchness so much as their treatment for export, and
that applies to a lot of stuff from different countries.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
middleton.walker writes

"Kay" wrote in message

nothing of what was quoted

Please be careful of your attributions!
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes

Some of the fruit may be a bit small, as primarily it will be a hedge,
but why not have a hedge which is productive?

It's an honourable tradition - in the Vale of Evesham, for example, it
was common practice to leave damsons as standards in field hedges.


Any suggestions for other suitable (hardy) fruiting or useful shrubs welcomed.

blackthorn, medlar
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

The message
from "middleton.walker" contains these words:

If you have never had a "good" apple then both Red or Golden Delicious
taste
fabulous....almost like chocolate and one's individual tastebuds....I grew
up on Rowntrees and Cadbury's and dislike Yankee chocolate whereas wifey
loves Yankee 'stuff' as comapred to R or C's.....H

Ah, I'm on your side. It is alleged that Hershey bars were always made
with slightly sour milk, not deliberately, but because of the distances
milk had to travel to the factory.

At least one shop in Norwich keeps hershey bars specially for the USAF
personnel in the area, and I tried one [1]. I didn't actively dislike
it, but I preferred the home-grown stuff.

[1] The Hershey bar, not someone in the USAF.

Hershey bars are to English "chocolate" as
English "chocolate" is to the real McCoy.

The Belgians, Japanese, Swiss, and Portugese all know how to make proper
chocolate. UK product is a feeble excessively sweetened fatty flavoured
imitation, and Hershey bars are well yuk! But Merkins like them which is
good since it leaves more of the high quality stuff for everyone else.

Regards,
Martin Brown

The message
from Kay contains these words:
In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes

Some of the fruit may be a bit small, as primarily it will be a hedge,
but why not have a hedge which is productive?

It's an honourable tradition - in the Vale of Evesham, for example, it
was common practice to leave damsons as standards in field hedges.

In Norfolk too, though the tradition is for apple trees.

I'd intended just the hedge with no standards - being on the south side
of the garden, I don't want to make too much shade.

Any suggestions for other suitable (hardy) fruiting or useful shrubs
welcomed.

blackthorn, medlar

Today I went round the footpaths and found a little blackthorn and some
other stuff, so I can leave that out to make room for something else -
much as I love blackthorn. See what I brought back -

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/garner.jpg

One of the bags contains extra-large sloes or a sloe/bullace hybrid. I
shall molish sloe cheese with those. (I already have sixteen pounds of
sloes in the freezer - good year this one. Last year I found three
sloes.

Medlar(s) I had thought of and not ruled out, but I've never tried one,
so I'd want to before I planted some.

I'm just wondering whether to get some apples, pears, etc on dwarfing
stock, or just rely on pruning and trimming to keep the trunks in check.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes

Medlar(s) I had thought of and not ruled out, but I've never tried one,
so I'd want to before I planted some.

They need 'bletting', ie left to go brown and soft, before using.
I use ours to make medlar jelly, a delicate flavoured jelly which is
nice on its own but also goes well with poultry or cheese. Friend of
ours is planning to make wine with them.

If you can't get a taste round your way, email me and I'll pop a few in
the post.

I'm just wondering whether to get some apples, pears, etc on dwarfing
stock, or just rely on pruning and trimming to keep the trunks in check.

Very dwarfing needs support - which I suppose it'd have in a hedge. Otoh
an apple on non-dwarfing stock has an immense energy. I wonder if the
balance is to get a stock which limits the vigour to comparable with the
other things in that bit of the hedge?
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from Kay contains these words:
In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes

Medlar(s) I had thought of and not ruled out, but I've never tried one,
so I'd want to before I planted some.

They need 'bletting', ie left to go brown and soft, before using.

Yes, I did know that.

I use ours to make medlar jelly, a delicate flavoured jelly which is
nice on its own but also goes well with poultry or cheese. Friend of
ours is planning to make wine with them.

Bletted, or /bletted?

If you can't get a taste round your way, email me and I'll pop a few in
the post.

Thanks, I might well take you up on that - get some pips to plant too, innit.

I'm just wondering whether to get some apples, pears, etc on dwarfing
stock, or just rely on pruning and trimming to keep the trunks in check.

Very dwarfing needs support - which I suppose it'd have in a hedge. Otoh
an apple on non-dwarfing stock has an immense energy. I wonder if the
balance is to get a stock which limits the vigour to comparable with the
other things in that bit of the hedge?

I shall have words with local growers, but I'm inclining towards vigour.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
The message
from Kay contains these words:

I use ours to make medlar jelly, a delicate flavoured jelly which is
nice on its own but also goes well with poultry or cheese. Friend of
ours is planning to make wine with them.

Bletted, or /bletted?

No idea about the wine. Bletted for jelly, so probably best for wine
too.

If you can't get a taste round your way, email me and I'll pop a few in
the post.

Thanks, I might well take you up on that - get some pips to plant too, innit.

That'll take time!
Aren't medlars generally grafted? ISTR on hawthorn - I certainly have a
lot of hawthorn shoots appearing at the base of mine, though they could
be just seedlings.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from Kay contains these words:

/medlars/

Thanks, I might well take you up on that - get some pips to plant
too, innit.

That'll take time!

Not *THAT* long.

Aren't medlars generally grafted? ISTR on hawthorn

I wouldn't have thought so, BICBW. They're small enough trees not to
need grafting. (Unless you wanted a really *BIG* one.)

- I certainly have a
lot of hawthorn shoots appearing at the base of mine, though they could
be just seedlings.

I'd guess at seedlings, though they are both Rosacae.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/