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apples

Identifying an apple tree in fruit

Ac Baker

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posted 1 month ago

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I've been given permission to pick these apples for out local Black-led Mutual Aid food project.

But we could do with knowing what variety they are, and therefore, the most appropriate uses.

Thank you!

Images: Whole tree with nearly ripe fruit, and close ups showing the blush on the fruit, which are flattened in shape & seem to be tip bearing, no russetting.

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Ac Baker

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The neighbour thinks they are a cooking variety.

I'm inclined to think, despite the shape, that they're not the famous "Bramley's Seedling" cooking apple which grew from a pip planted by Mary Ann Brailsford (in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands of England in 1809).

Those would be glossier & a more yellow-green, I think.

Many thanks for any helpful thoughts!

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Anne Miller

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My guess would be Golden Delicious.

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M.K. Dorje Sr.

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Identifying apples is a real art. There are thousands of different varieties! I'm really not very good at it, but here's a link to a video by Dan Neuteboom that is a first rate intro on how to ID apples:

He mentions a book by Rosie Sanders called The Apple Book that sounds like it would be the perfect one for you to consult. Maybe your local library has a copy? Let us know what you think it might be as I'm curious as to what variety it is myself. Good luck!

Edit: Here's a link to Dan's website, it looks very interesting and informative- plus he does consultations:

https://realenglishfruit.co.uk/

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Ac Baker

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Anne Miller wrote:My guess would be Golden Delicious.

Thank you. Mmm, I'm pretty sure Golden Delicious are more elongated at the base, with a more yellow green hue and little or no blush?

ETA: I stand corrected - I have never seen a Golden Delicious fruit for sale with a blush, but apparently they do get blush: https://realenglishfruit.co.uk/golden-delicious/

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Ac Baker

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M.K. Dorje Sr. wrote:Identifying apples is a real art. There are thousands of different varieties! I'm really not very good at it, but here's a link to a video by Dan Neuteboom that is a first rate intro on how to ID apples:

..

Edit: Here's a link to Dan's website, it looks very interesting and informative- plus he does consultations:

https://realenglishfruit.co.uk/

Thank you so much, these are great resources!

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"Whitewashed Hope: A Message from 10+ Indigenous Leaders and Organizations"
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Burra Maluca

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posted 1 month ago

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If I had access to a tree like that, I'd just be picking a few and experimenting.

Eat one raw to see what the flavour and crispness is like.

Bake one. Stew one - does it hold its shape? Go mushy?

How long they store can only be tested by trying to store one, but I would assume that they don't store and find ways to use them. Except just one or two, which I'd put somewhere suitable and see how they go.

Do they ripen all at once and need picking all at the same time? Or can you just pick a few here and there? You might never know the actual variety, but it won't take too long to figure out good uses for them.

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r ranson

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Check the base for signs of a graph. Apples have a decent chance of being delicious from seed (mine are just over half) which means they may not be a variety. In that case, they are sold as heritage and fetch a higher price than a named variety.

The name isn't what's important, it's how they behave. Like burra said, experimenting is key. It's funny with local homeowners with antique trees (more than 100 years old). It's like they don't feel they have permission to enjoy the apple unless it is a named variation. They don't realize these trees are often not grafted. Back then, they only grafted apples after finding out if what grew from seed was delicious or not.

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greg mosser

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yep. identifying to cultivar name is probably a lost cause, given the amount of possibilities (and the fact that the same varieties can look significantly different coming out of different orchards), but a bit of experimentation will tell you the best uses for that apple.

when doing taste tests, it might be helpful to hold some in storage for later tasting, a month or two after picking, since some storage varieties don’t taste like much fresh off the tree but develop more flavor in storage.

Megan Palmer

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As others have already mentioned, the likelihood of identifying the exact cultivar is extremely unlikely, especially if it is not a grafted tree.

The national apple collection at Brogdale in the UK had over 2000 cultivars in addition to over 100 varieties of cider apples.

This book suggests categorising apples by the following characteristics - early, mid, late: dessert, fresh eating, culinary and dual purpose.

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Ac Baker

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Thank you for all this great advice.

The two challenges I have are:
(1) I may lose access to the tree at the end of September, if there's a new tenant;
(2) When is best to eat them (some varieties improve with keeping)?

Of course, all apples can be cooked, at some level, so that's the fall back option if we're not sure if they're a dessert eating type.

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Megan Palmer

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Apples are fully ripe when the seeds are black so cut a few in half to check.

If they are ready to harvest, I would start picking them and record the dates that you eat them with tasting notes.

As Burra and Greg have suggested, cook some too. Cookers tend to dissolve into a mush and are excellent for sauce and pies.

Eaters retain their shape.

Apples can be bud grafted in spring so take lots of cuttings and bud graft onto established trees. The more grafts that you take, the greater the odds of a few taking.

Brogdale offer a identification service if you are keen to try to identify the cultivar

https://brogdalecollections.org/fruit-identification/

greg mosser

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cider apple varieties exist, too, some of which are real ‘spitters’ fresh, since many of the best old cider apples are fairly tannic. there’s not much else i’d want to do with cider varieties than drink them.

i don’t know how likely such trees would be in your context.

Ac Baker

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Oh, goodness I'd forgotten about cider apples, how did I do that? Perhaps possible, but less likely, I think in this case.

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