I am new to this forum, but it looks very professional to me. Maybe you can help me with my questions?
I planted Nikita's Gift in the spring of 2017. I am in PA, zone 6B. In 2019 we had 22 fruits, the following year - nothing. This year, 2021, the tree is loaded with fruit - at least several hundred of them. It is October 29, most fruits are nicely colored, but they are still hard and astringent. When would be a good time to pick them from the tree? Some would be for fresh eating, some can be dried and some can be stored in the freezer. Do you slice the fruit for drying like apples?
I also have some doubt that my tree is Nikita's Gift. I do not recall leaves ever changing color to red in the fall. The branches have a tendency to bend down and stay that way - many of them are touching the ground. This year the tree could not support the fruit weight, one big branch broke off and took about 100 green fruits with it. I had to put supports under other branches after that. Does it sound like Nikita's Gift to you? I have attached several recent pictures - they are better than words.
