Apple season has started.

[Lardman]

First ripe apple this morning

Gladstone - small and the skin was a little on the thick side but perfectly formed and a very welcome breakfast.

The dodin apples may have been ready a little earlier but they were all taken last week just before being ripe enough for me to pick.

Anyone else started yet?

[devonuk]

Nothing here yet (but my earliest is Epicure, mid August).

[Hereford fruit grower]

Same here - my earliest apple is Laxton's Epicure. I'm planting Irish Peach and Gladstone in winter 2018-19 which hopefully will be garden-worthy and tasty (if not 'commercial'). I'd plant Summercrisp if Frank Matthews Ltd. would release it to gardeners. It apparently won't be released for commercial use which seems to be all that counts nowadays.

I've been eating Doyenne d'Ete pear for a week or so. It's a bit small but it's tasty and crops well and suffers little or no pest damage.

I'd plant more very early pears if I could find some equally good ones. Jargonelle is said to be good but my tree is very slow-growing.

[nickdub]

I've had a few George Cave - I wouldn't say they were fully ripe, but I rather like "green" fruit .

[Lardman]

I can't complain about Gladstone as an early - it's at least as good as a nice supermarket apple. The books are right about it's lack of depth though, but as I get older I'm finding the softer texture is less of a problem and more of a benefit

Bit of pain that it's a tip bearer, being pushed for space Im trying it as a tall spindle with limited success but it been one of the more healthy trees this year. It's also a better flavour than the doddin, they have a rather green crab taste to them

Not heard or seen anything about Summercrisp - any info online ?

edit :
Well that's the end of those, my little furry friends stripped the rest of the tree yesterday. It's a very long wait now until the next tree with fruit on is ready as it's the kidds orange red.

[TrixC]

Citron des Carmes is an excellent early pear - it really does taste lemony.