How can I tell when my apples are ready?

[dexterdoglancashire]

Yeah, I know. Dumb question, but my apple tree is around 5 years old and Ive only once tasted the apples, coz Ive left them far too long before eating!
What should I look for?

[Florence Fennel]

I'm only a humble novice dexter and I'm having problems this year with only 2 apples on my tree, but for the last 2 years I've picked my apples around the end of August when they looked big enough and when you take up their weight in your hand and twist slightly they come off easily. If they're not ready, they stay on the branch. Well mine did.
Flo

[FB.]

Gently hold the apple. Lift it up and give a little twist.
If it doesn't literally fall into your hand, it's not ready.
While there is a temptation to pick fruit early, it is best to wait until it is properly ripe - for the best flavour.

The excellent old, classic, early apple variety "Worcester Pearmain" suffered from commercial orchards racing against each other to be the first to bring a crop to market.
That led to inadequately ripened fruit (with a bitter undertone of flavour) being offered for sale.
Eventually, the variety almost disappeared as a result of lack of demand - due to marketing poor quality (unripe) fruit that consumers got wise to.
It's even-earlier offspring "Discovery" also suffers the same problem today. Properly ripened Discovery apples have no resemblance to shop-bought Discovery. I grow my own Discovery and they're delicious. Shop-bought Discovery are like eating raw cooking apples!

[Bren In Pots]

We've got 2 Worcester Pearmain trees we must have had them for 20 years, only problem we have is that they don't store too well so when we have a glut I make chutney and use them for juicing.

[shirlthegirl43]

On a similar vein (so I won't start a new thread) why is it that my apples which won't come off in my hand, will blow off with the slightest wind?

I don't know what type they are but they are well old as we have been here 13 years now and they were mature trees when we bought the house. (is there any way to find out their type?)

[FB.]

When the wind blows, the branches whip around and larger/heavier apples tend to break off the branches more easily, due to their large mass being tossed around.
Some varieties are more prone to dropping their fruit for no apparent reason.
Some varieties are prone to uneven ripening of the fruit, so that you need to pick just a few each day over a few week period - otherwise you get the ripe ones dropping and the unripe ones staying on the tree for much longer.
Fruit is more likely to drop if it is pest-damaged.

The best way to get them identified is to go to your local botanic garden "apple day" in the autumn.

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for that FB. Local botanic garden is gonna be fun

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks for that FB. Local botanic garden is gonna be fun

Me too. Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to taste one which fell off the tree today - I'll see

[janeyo]

I don't think my red apples (tree about 20 years old, here when we moved in) are for storing. Last year they were all finished by the end of august. They were very sweet apples and made great cider.

How can I store one for taking to the apple festival for identification?

[tamsin]

Chop one open. If the seeds are white they're not ready, brown and they are That's how we tell anyway.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Chop one open. If the seeds are white they're not ready, brown and they are That's how we tell anyway.

thanks, will do it now.

[Sue]

I only like apples that are sour so mine are all gone before they're fully ripe when they're too sweet and soft, urgh.
My allotment neighbour asked me to eat their apples to help thin them out, these are golden delicious which are delicious when unripe but can't stand them when they're really supposed to be ready.
If it makes your eyes water then that's the apple for me.
Sue

[ohbeary]

Sue M'dear I'm afraid you have been indoctrinated by comercial apple sellers into thinking that sour is good, eating apples is sweet, cider apples is sour, and cookers!, proper eaters is sweet genrally, let em ripen an see what a proper eate is about.