How will I know when the cooking apples are ripe?

alwayspuzzled

Sorry this seems to be a daft question but we have a very large cooking apple tree with a mega crop of apples. Over the last few weeks loads have started dropping but they are still quite small (about the size of a granny smith). Last year they were massive and I'm sure it was more like sept/oct they were ready, but someones told me all apples have ripened early this year and the fact they are dropping on their own with no wind and no peck marks makes me wonder if the smallness is because I've only just found out I should have reduced the crop in earlier in the year. Some of them them have a red blush and some are just green. At the moment theres about 1/2 a carrier bags worth getting binned each day and it seems such a waste.

serena

To check if an apple is ready to harvest, cup the fruit in your hand and lift, bending the stalk - if it breaks easily at the 'joint' then harvest away!

I'd think it may just be naturally shedding some of the fruit. They may be fine for cooking and freezing, or maybe for something like chutney??

lizzyb1812

I have always assumed that the "drop" is the tree shedding fruit it can't take to maturity - more so if it has a bumper crop. I agree about the cupping and twisting gently - mine are NOT ready yet. Might have a look into the chutney idea for the dropped apples, although I have tried a sliver of one and it was hard and sour

There is no "one rule suits all" re when apples will be ready - different varieties ripen at different times, weather conditions over the year will have an effect, as will your geographical location. Best to just to keep having a try.

And I've never thinned my apples in summer - the tree seems to do it for me and I don't feel like taking a crash course on apple thinning!

RAS

You will find the fruit dropping now is unripe but still Ok for things like jams, jellies and chutneys.

lizzyb1812

Thanks RAS - I've been chopping and composting them but I'd rather make food out of them

23rdspiral

thanks! i'll be making chutney this sunday then!

alwayspuzzled

RAS wrote: »

You will find the fruit dropping now is unripe but still Ok for things like jams, jellies and chutneys.

Thanks - I'll look up for a foolproof chutney reciepe and me and the kids can get busy, even if I can only use a few its better than wasteing them all! I thought the birds would be into them but they seem far more interested in the mulitiple ant nests that have sprung up all over the garden.

I went out and tried the lift and twist and they're nowhere near coming off. Kids are having fun with the blackberries from the brambles hanging over the fence that I wouldn't let OH chop off and we were hoping for a blackberry and apple crumble.

Money_maker

No reason why you can't have this crumble. I stew up my windfalls, adding sugar if necessary (hasn't been but mine are eaters). You can then freeze or use.

DianneB

I was told by a fruit grower that if the pips are white apples are not ready, personally I go by taste!

SailorSam

I love sour apples i've been eating mine.
The little manky ones i cut and left on the bird table and some i put in a curry i made at the weekend then last night did vege soup in the slowcooker, i thought i usually chop up whatevers there so threw some of the apples in this time.

[Deleted User]

Apples have been very early this year. I've had some eating apples coming off one of my trees this week. I ate one to test if it was ripe and it was perfect - I usually don't pick until mid September.