Do we still grow British apples.

Years ago I spent part of my vacation picking apples for the Co-op. They were Cox variety and many went into cold store for year round supply. Sadly the Co-op stopped doing it and the orchard was grubbed up.

Plenty of apples here in the south west grown for cider.

I visited an orchard a few months ago specialising in Cornish varieties. Eating and cooking.

I am lucky enough to live near to a family-owned apple farm. They grow 40 varieties which they sell through their own farm shop and supply others in the area. They also produce juices and ciders. As others have said, Discovery is the earliest and ready in August. Some varieties have their origins in other countries, Braeburn probably the most well-known. One of my favourites is Red Elstar which originated in Holland, ready in September.

I've recently been buying British Galas and Braeburns at two different supermarkets. My favourite is a Cox but these are, at present, unavailable. New Zealand Coxes have the name but that's about all - they are really nothing like the genuine article. I hope Bramleys will never vanish because there's no substitute if you want a proper apple pie or crumble.

Muse have you tried eating a cider apple? The big cider companies like Thatchers pay farmers for the apples from their Orchards and do all the harvesting for them. It doesn’t matter if the cider apples get bashed up.

Eating apples have to be carefully picked or they bruise and won’t keep. Additionally under EU laws apples had to be a standard size and shape so little distorted fruit couldn’t be sold, at least not in supermarkets.

Brogdale in Kent keep all the old and new variety British apples and Kent still has acres of apple orchards. . Very interesting to visit.

Brogdale hold the National collection. If you want to identify an apple tree in your garden, you send off 3 apples and they will come back and tell you what it is for about £20.

Under EU laws apples had to be a standard size and shape

No, I don't think this is true Avalon, (think wonky cucumbers) they simply have to be sorted that way into "qualities" so that everyone knows what they are buying.

I've bought "wonky" produce from Morrisons. I'm sure I had wonky apples not long ago.

You are right though, apparently in the UK we buy with our eyes.
In Italy, France and most of Europe we don't.

Morrison’s were amongst the first to sell wonky vegetables. If you see all those pictures of gorgeous produce markets, and I have visited them in Funchal, the fruit looks wonderful. Far better than our supermarkets.

I used to love Worcesters. There was a farm near my school and they would fill your bike basket for 6d. I haven’t seen a Worcester in years

My maternal (illiterate) great grandmother used to make my mother and her brothers take it in turn to miss school and accompany her to the cinema so they could read the screen to her. Their payment for this was a russet which she had kept in a drawer-next to moth balls ? Her mother had escaped the famine in Ireland so she and her daughter (my maternal grandmother) were always very grateful for their food-if offered any more they would always refuse saying “sufficient is a feast”

A Russett is a truly lovely apple Newquay.

I have a Discovery apple tree in my garden on a dwarfing root stock M26. It takes a few years to get any amount of apples, but after about 3 years the amount of apples on it is incredible.

I just love cox’s too, probably the best of the bunch.

I have a very old apple tree lying on it’s side with a narrow piece of bark connecting it to the root. How it survives goodness only knows. I sent off to Brogdale for ID and it is an Upton Pine originating from Devon. It’s an eater and cooks well going down to a lovely purée in 5 minutes.

timetogo2016

I`m with you on that nanna8.
My dad loved russet apples at christmas time.just thought i`d share.

Russets are my very favourite too. Beautiful flavour.

My favourite too... all sorts of russets, partly for their perfume- even though they can sometimes be a little on the dry side.

Russets, greengages and mulberries are my three favourite fruits.

Russets are my favourite too, as children we called them the Christmas apple. Bought some last year from a local market stall but they were tasteless, looked at the sticky label on them and they were from Belgium. Will check in future that they’re English, the flavour is much superior.

You can`t beat English russets.
We aso called them christmas apples Bixiboo.

Do find it hard to get British Apples, I love golden russet and cox’s but they are from New Zealand, no disrespect but I want a good old English apple.

Check out local markets and farm shops for local produce. Buying local keeps money local and supports local!!

Yes we do grow them here, but harvesting them is now a big problem as we don’t want to do the necessary physical work. There were pictures last year of orchards where the apples were rotting on the ground for lack of pickers.

I always have a terrible job finding my favourite apples, English Russets. I know that they are very seasonal snd do not store well but I would hope that in this huge glut of produce from all over the world, major supermarkets could stock these delicious apples for even just a short time! As it is, I have to travel to a few independents; sadly there are none in my town now-the giant grocers saw to that, another story! Even the small green grocers have trouble getting them as they are not widely grown anymore due to ‘lack of demand’ (presumably from the supermarkets!). Sainsburys had them a few years ago but none here for the last two. I miss them!

muse

Plenty of apples here in the south west grown for cider.

I visited an orchard a few months ago specialising in Cornish varieties. Eating and cooking.

We live near a cider apple farm. His crop has been left unpicked by the cider company for 2 or more years now.
Its heartbreaking to see the apples rotting on the ground.

I long for a lovely English Russet apple. I think most apples now that are imported just have no real flavour of ‘bite’ to them.