How do you know when to pick apples (cookers)?

[TrixC]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but I've never grown apples before. How do you know when they're ready to pick?

I have an enormous apple tree in my garden, of unknown variety but clearly a cooker, I'm guessing Bramley's Seedling. The tree is probably the largest apple tree I've ever seen and made an equally enormous crop. It has been dropping apples since June - at first they were clearly undersized and unripe but now it's less clear cut. From reading about Bramley most sources seem to suggest the fruit are ready later, more like October. How do I know if they're ready? If it was an eating apple I'd try one and see if they were sweet, but how do you tell with cooking apples which are supposed to be tart even when ripe?

[skeggijon]

Lift the apple and twist - if it's ready it should easily come away from the branch

[TrixC]

Lift the apple and twist - if it's ready it should easily come away from the branch

Thanks, although "easily" is a bit subjective, I tried two apples and one came away easily the other didn't.

[fishpond]

If they are anything like mine, they are nearly ready now.
Certainly good enough for cooking and juicing. (bit later for eating)
Don't pick them all at once, 'cause they will not all be at the same stage.
I cleared underneath yesterday, any that fall this morning and onwards will get used.
I do suggest you check for pests before you use them.
Slightly under ripe and undamaged should be good for storage but check at least once a week in storage and remove any dodgy ones.

[skeggijon]

They aren't usually all ready at the same time

[greenishfing]

I picked 4 Bramleys off the floor today that blew off in the strong winds this afternoon. They are now cooked and frozen for a pie in Winter

[boundtothesoil]

If you've got an unknown variety with lots of apples on it, experiment with it. You can afford to pick a couple every three or four days from now on, cut them open and taste them. In this way you get to know how they ripen and how their taste develops i.e. going from tart to sweet. It's worth making a note of the date you consider it to be fully ripe to your own taste, although this can vary by as much as a month depending on whether the season is very early or very late.

A Bramley's Seedling tree is a great variety to have, but they are quite prone to codling moth attack, and the infected apples often drop fairly early. The good bits can still be cut out and used for pies, crumbles etc. Likewise with scabby Bramley's. However, if you plan to store them over winter it is best to do this only with unblemished fruit.

I stew up and freeze, or juice most of my infected Bramley's.

[Nicos]

I start with windfalls.
Then, as they ripen on the tree you can check from the colour of the pip.
If it's not dark brown, then it's not ripe.

Thing is, they are still very edible even when unripe- you just cook them with more sugar or mix with sweeter fruit, or chutney them, or make them into jellies ( mint/ chili for eg)

twist and pull is indeed the easiest way !

[TrixC]

Thanks everybody. I picked a few of the windfalls and made stewed apple, I'm not sure they were properly ripe, but I just added sugar until it tasted right. Most of the apples had been attacked by some sort of boring insect - not sure if this is the codling moth referred to?

[TrixC]

They aren't usually all ready at the same time

Ah, thanks, I hadn't realised that.

[boundtothesoil]

Most of the apples had been attacked by some sort of boring insect - not sure if this is the codling moth referred to?

Most likely that these are codling moth larvae (caterpillars), boring in or out of the fruit. Sometimes you can find one when you cut the apple open, whitey pink and around 1 cm long. I dispose of them. How good they taste when eaten in numbers is an open question, but their diet is purely apple after all.

[BUFFS]

if you pick them too early don't worry, they taste just as sharp whether ready or not , they all end up in pies and juices so just enjoy...