Are these apples ready?

cool_dude_2000

Hi all

I have an apple tree in my garden, planted by the previous owner, which has born loads of apples.

However I'm uncertain of the make and whether they are ready for consumption. All the apples have a slight abrasive skin texture and are dark green. However a few appear to have small areas of light green skin which has more of a smooth sheen.

I'm uncertain if these apples are ripe. Or are they cooking apples? Most of them are large and look fully developed.

I've uploaded pictures of the apples to the following links

https://ibb.co/Fbh966d

https://ibb.co/Lx62CnD

unrecordings

Looks like some kind of russet - try one

cool_dude_2000

Someone said the tree was poisoned and their no good, so not tempted to eat one. He said to prune back the branches over winter and next year they'll be fine.

Farway

Apples are ready when they part easily from the tree, lift one gently with slight twist, if it comes away easily without tugging it's ready

Some are not ready until late Autumn or even winter

When cut open ripe apples will have dark brown pips

They lighter areas could be where they were shaded by leaves

unrecordings

Sorry, I have to say it. I'd be a little concerned about someone claiming the tree was poisoned. Do you know how, why ?

sheramber

Surely, if the tree was poisoned it would die.

How would it suddenly not be poisoned next yea because you pruned it?

Who is this someone'.

unrecordings

I'm kind of hoping Dave might pop up with some sage advice, so I'm not really confident to comment much further than it might have been a failed attempt to get rid of the tree (people do the strangest things) which has potentially left the fruit for this season toxic. More info from the OP will help

cool_dude_2000

No, it wasn't a failed attempt at poisoning the tree. To be honest the tree has been left untouched for the past 6 years, left to grow wild. It's only because our neighbours friend, who is a landscape gardener, advised me the fruit is considered 'poisoned' and not to eat it, but rather it required pruning before the apples would mature properly.

cool_dude_2000

Ok, I've just learnt the effect on this apple is called russetting and that this type might be Egremont Russet.

[Deleted User]

Farway wrote: »

Apples are ready when they part easily from the tree, lift one gently with slight twist, if it comes away easily without tugging it's ready

Some are not ready until late Autumn or even winter

When cut open ripe apples will have dark brown pips

They lighter areas could be where they were shaded by leaves

Basically, exactly what Farway says to tell if they are ripe. Depending on the climate where you live (and the apple type) apples might only ripen quite late.

The only 'poisoned' apple tree I know of is this one:

A Poison Tree

I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I waterd it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night.
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.

And into my garden stole,
When the night had veild the pole;
In the morning glad I see;
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

By William Blake

Davesnave

unrecordings wrote: »

I'm kind of hoping Dave might pop up with some sage advice,

Um, no! I inherited 50 apple trees and after the first few years pruning, I gave up doing more than a fraction of them annually. The Redwings and Fieldfares don't mind!

....Except to add that all the russet apples I know are later season and taste a lot better when allowed to ripen fully. If you have to pull them and they're not falling naturally, they aren't ready.