Hi,

in our gravel 'n dust back garden here in the Kennet Valley we have tow
eating apple trees (variety unknown).

They have been neglected over the last few years and are overgrown but
they are both cropping heavily.

The bright red one (Worcester Permian?) has a huge crop and has been
dropping apples for ages.

http://gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_... _permain.htm

Although the apple looks redder than the pictures, more like

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/devonshire.jpg

The apples seem ripe in many ways - good red colour and of course they are
dropping.

However, if gently twisted they refuse to come off in the hand, which
suggests they may not all be ready for picking.

The main issue is the taste; the ones we sampled are sweet and quite juicy
but the underlying texture is between wood chip and blotting paper - much
like under-ripe apples.

The description of the Worcester Permian says 'on the dry side' and
recommends leaving on the tree to ripen.

However the apples are throwing themselves at the floor (which can be
quite disconcerting when sitting out on these warm summer nights - "Rustle
rustle THUD" from the darkness ;-)

Has anyone experience of this type of apple?

Should then be picked and stored to give them time to mature?

It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.

I also don't want to waste a lot of effort picking and storing them if
they are going to turn out old and woody instead of fresh and woody.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers

Dave R

[Unfortunately I don't have the time this year to make wine or cider or
apple jelly]

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
news
Hi,

in our gravel 'n dust back garden here in the Kennet Valley we have tow
eating apple trees (variety unknown).

They have been neglected over the last few years and are overgrown but
they are both cropping heavily.

The bright red one (Worcester Permian?) has a huge crop and has been
dropping apples for ages.


http://gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_... _permain.htm

Although the apple looks redder than the pictures, more like

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/devonshire.jpg

The apples seem ripe in many ways - good red colour and of course they are
dropping.

However, if gently twisted they refuse to come off in the hand, which
suggests they may not all be ready for picking.

The main issue is the taste; the ones we sampled are sweet and quite juicy
but the underlying texture is between wood chip and blotting paper - much
like under-ripe apples.

The description of the Worcester Permian says 'on the dry side' and
recommends leaving on the tree to ripen.

However the apples are throwing themselves at the floor (which can be
quite disconcerting when sitting out on these warm summer nights - "Rustle
rustle THUD" from the darkness ;-)

Has anyone experience of this type of apple?

Should then be picked and stored to give them time to mature?

It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.

I also don't want to waste a lot of effort picking and storing them if
they are going to turn out old and woody instead of fresh and woody.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers

Dave R

[Unfortunately I don't have the time this year to make wine or cider or
apple jelly]

I suspect its no where near ripe yet, even Beauty of Bath is not ready yet.
As to the dropping, I don't know about elsewhere, but here because of a wet
May we did not get a "June drop" and I suspect its just the apple getting
rid of excess a bit later than normal.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

David WE Roberts wrote:
[...]
Has anyone experience of this type of apple?

Should then be picked and stored to give them time to mature?

It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.

I also don't want to waste a lot of effort picking and storing them if
they are going to turn out old and woody instead of fresh and woody.
[...]

No experience of the one you describe (which doesn't sound like a
genuine Worcester), but some apples do, as you suggest, need to ripen
further in store before they're ready to eat. I did have a nameless
one, a russet, which was indeed rather woody till it had been stored:
it would be worth trying once, and if you still don't like it, you can
get rid with a clear conscience. At least one kind is best at Christmas
or after, I believe. I think these anonymous varieties we find are
often seedlings, which are rarely worth the effort.

--
Mike.

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/

The message . com
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:


David WE Roberts wrote:
[...]
Has anyone experience of this type of apple?

Should then be picked and stored to give them time to mature?

It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.

I also don't want to waste a lot of effort picking and storing them if
they are going to turn out old and woody instead of fresh and woody.
[...]

No experience of the one you describe (which doesn't sound like a
genuine Worcester), but some apples do, as you suggest, need to ripen
further in store before they're ready to eat. I did have a nameless
one, a russet, which was indeed rather woody till it had been stored:
it would be worth trying once, and if you still don't like it, you can
get rid with a clear conscience. At least one kind is best at Christmas
or after, I believe. I think these anonymous varieties we find are
often seedlings, which are rarely worth the effort.

--
Mike.

My understanding is that it's only later apples which mature in store,
i.e. early apples (August and into September) are best straight off the
tree and deteriorate quite rapidly once picked, often within a week or
two, whereas the ones picked from October will store well and many are
unpalatable until a month or two after being picked. In other words it
seems unlikely that apples picked now will improve after being picked.
Also, as Charlie says, in spite of the hot weather even the earliest
apples - Beauty of Bath and Discovery - aren't quite fully ripe here yet
(S. Lincs)

As David suggest the dry weather might be affecting things. You could
accept the falling of the apples and see what the remaining ones are
like when they will yield easily to a small twist. Then see whether
fewer fall next year and make a final decision about the future of the
tree then.

Janet G

On 7/8/06 08:17, in article , "Janet
Galpin" wrote:

The message . com
snip
As David suggest the dry weather might be affecting things. You could
accept the falling of the apples and see what the remaining ones are
like when they will yield easily to a small twist. Then see whether
fewer fall next year and make a final decision about the future of the
tree then.

Janet G

It might also be worth the OP keeping an eye out for any Apple Days in his
area. There are usually a few going on round here and you can take along
apples for identification by an expert, or get advice and info on your trees
etc.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

David WE Roberts wrote:
It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.

I also don't want to waste a lot of effort picking and storing them if
they are going to turn out old and woody instead of fresh and woody.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers

Dave R

[Unfortunately I don't have the time this year to make wine or cider or
apple jelly]

At the risk of stating the obvious, have you tried cooking them? I find
this necessary with my eater windfalls. Don't ask me for a recipe, but
dicing them and boiling with sugar doesn't take much effort and seems
to make them edible (just about -- better suggestions welcome).

Chris

Have you tried selling them to supermarkets?
They tend to specialise in selling dry tasteless apples.



"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
news
Hi,

in our gravel 'n dust back garden here in the Kennet Valley we have tow
eating apple trees (variety unknown).

They have been neglected over the last few years and are overgrown but
they are both cropping heavily.

The bright red one (Worcester Permian?) has a huge crop and has been
dropping apples for ages.

http://gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_... _permain.htm

Although the apple looks redder than the pictures, more like

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/devonshire.jpg

The apples seem ripe in many ways - good red colour and of course they are
dropping.

However, if gently twisted they refuse to come off in the hand, which
suggests they may not all be ready for picking.

The main issue is the taste; the ones we sampled are sweet and quite juicy
but the underlying texture is between wood chip and blotting paper - much
like under-ripe apples.

The description of the Worcester Permian says 'on the dry side' and
recommends leaving on the tree to ripen.

However the apples are throwing themselves at the floor (which can be
quite disconcerting when sitting out on these warm summer nights - "Rustle
rustle THUD" from the darkness ;-)

Has anyone experience of this type of apple?

Should then be picked and stored to give them time to mature?

It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.

I also don't want to waste a lot of effort picking and storing them if
they are going to turn out old and woody instead of fresh and woody.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers

Dave R

[Unfortunately I don't have the time this year to make wine or cider or
apple jelly]

On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 10:29:11 +0100, David WE Roberts wrote:

Hi,

in our gravel 'n dust back garden here in the Kennet Valley we have tow
eating apple trees (variety unknown).
snip
It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.
snip

Much to my relief, the woodiness seems to be abating.

Many of the apples which fall are still not really good, but some on the
trees are now getting good to eat.


Thanks for all the information - if earlies aren't keepers then I will
shortly be importuning strangers to take away bags full of them.

Cheers

Dave R

David WE Roberts writes
On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 10:29:11 +0100, David WE Roberts wrote:

Hi,

in our gravel 'n dust back garden here in the Kennet Valley we have tow
eating apple trees (variety unknown).
snip
It seems sad to have a huge crop of shiny, sweet red apples which are
basically inedible because there is only so much blotting paper I can chew
before I start to wonder why I am doing it.
snip

Much to my relief, the woodiness seems to be abating.

Many of the apples which fall are still not really good, but some on the
trees are now getting good to eat.


Thanks for all the information - if earlies aren't keepers then I will
shortly be importuning strangers to take away bags full of them.

Turn them into apple juice and freeze them.

(Freeze the apples whole and thaw - that makes them soft enough to put
through a fruit press)
--
Kay