I have a lot of apples here (some 70 varieties) and only a few are ready this early in the season. Yet on social media I see plenty of people harvesting all they have. Sometimes we need to have a bit more patience to make sure we get the best from our own harvests, picking them when they're ripe and tasty.
This was a little video a few weeks ago, about checking to make sure the apples you're picking are ripe. 
For example, the Worcester apple above is what is classed as an early apple and it's only just ready!
What's your favourite early apple?
I love a crisp tart apple, Braeburns being my 1st choice. As a child we would sneak into a local orchard and nick apples from the tree, they were long and yellow, Morgan's, being in Somerset, they were cider apples, not really for eating, but it did not stop us.
ReplyDeleteEver since I broke my jaw an apples "crispness" has become so much less important to me!
DeleteIt made me smile at the mention of cider apples as I can remember my eldest, not even 2 at the time, picking cider apples and eating one the whole afternoon. Her whole face was orange by the end!
My favorite apple is the Macintosh. It is an excellent eating apple. Not ideal for pies. I planted two trees this past year and in a couple years will have my own apples. The apples in our stores are tasteless often because they were harvested early.
ReplyDeleteThat's not one I've tried. I'll have to give it a go.
DeleteI really loved this video. I have always just tasted them until I deemed them ripe. We will be picking ours soon.
ReplyDeleteYeah, taste is a great way to tell. only downside is our tastebuds get tricked by the supermarket apples, and our ideas of what is ripe can change (if that makes sense)
Deletei have just discovered my Howgate Wonder apples shouldnt be picked till mid October, thanks for the video
ReplyDeleteThat's a great cooker. The field I used to rent used to be an orchard of that apple until they were grubbed out.
DeleteMy favorite early apple is the super-early Trailman apple-crab.
ReplyDeleteNext on the hit-parade is a modern, disease resistant apple called Liberty.
I favor later apples since they have a much longer window in which they can be picked. Most early apples come in a heated rush and if you miss the three days when they are ready, they fall to the ground, rot and attract yellow-jackets.
I have Liberty growing here! I like the taste. It's the one that grows near our pizza oven. Not cropped well this year though.
DeleteI like the later season apples as well. The early ones are great for dehydrating if you have an early glut.