The Spartans are coming! (Apple lovers unite)

[welsh dragon]

[QUOTE 3267782, member: 259"]I forgot about Beauty of Bath, another favourite of mine.

And for cooking, nothing beats a Bramley.[/QUOTE]

I have bramley apples as well. Yum

 

[Saluki]

Spartans are very nice. Unfortunately we get a variety of Golden Delicious from South Africa, not bad.

Golden Delicious apples should be had up by the Trades Descriptions people

Russets here, all the way. A nice Cox's Orange Pippin is a fave in this house.
We've an apple tree in our front garden. Not sure of the variety but they are green with a red blush and very crispy and slightly on the tart side. Lovely.

 

[Fnaar]

[QUOTE 3267869, member: 259"]How are your plums doing this year Fnaar? I must say, mine are massive![/QUOTE]
Alas, mine are damsons in distress

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE 3267782, member: 259"]I forgot about Beauty of Bath, another favourite of mine.

[/QUOTE]


I met her in a pub once, I think it was the Griffin Inn.... however I am not sure whether her beauty was enhanced by 5 pints

 

[Ganymede]

Part of my garden used to be an old orchard. I have lots of varieties but mainly Bramleys and Howgate Wonders. Among my favourite eaters are Ashmead's Kernal and Blenheim Orange Pippin, both rather late and tart (missus).

If you like apples you should go here: http://www.brogdalecollections.co.uk/

And if you live in London you should come to this: http://thelionspart.co.uk/octoberplenty/index.html (in which I will sporting the rainbow garments of the goddess Iris, as it happens, and singing a song). All apple-tastic.

 

[Paulus]

I do prefer a Russet, but I find them very hard to find in the shops and supermarkets.

 

[nappadang]

12 (2 x 6) Jazz apples for 3 quid in Asda, they're really nice. Otherwise I just go for Pink Ladies because I rarely buy fruit from anywhere other than a supermarket.

 

[Archie_tect]

I like Russets but also Pink Lady apples are crisp and sweet.
Can't beat Conference pears while they are crisp.

Can't abide apples or pears when they ripen and become soft.

 

[gavintc]

Clicked on here expecting a story about iPhone 6.

 

[Ganymede]

I like Russets but also Pink Lady apples are crisp and sweet.
Can't beat Conference pears while they are crisp.

Can't abide apples or pears when they ripen and become soft.

I always think a ripe Comice pear (ripe, not gone over and certainly not crisp) is the nearest thing to a tropical fruit that the UK can produce. So aromatic and juicy! *dribbles a bit*

 

[Shut Up Legs]

What do you all recommend for juicing? I have a top-quality juicer at home, and like to make a batch of juice about once a week. I'm still trying to find the best apples for this, though.

 

[Ganymede]

What do you all recommend for juicing? I have a top-quality juicer at home, and like to make a batch of juice about once a week. I'm still trying to find the best apples for this, though.

You want a mix of a sharpish apple and an aromatic one with a bit of sweetness. A local apple farm makes lots of single-variety juice and a few blends, and our fave is Cox/Bramley. What varieties do you get in Australia? I lived in Sydney about 30 years ago but rarely ate an apple there as I was too busy enjoying all the mangoes, pineapples and cheap cantaloups.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

You want a mix of a sharpish apple and an aromatic one with a bit of sweetness. A local apple farm makes lots of single-variety juice and a few blends, and our fave is Cox/Bramley. What varieties do you get in Australia? I lived in Sydney about 30 years ago but rarely ate an apple there as I was too busy enjoying all the mangoes, pineapples and cheap cantaloups.

This page sums it up, I think: http://www.aussieapples.com.au/aussie-grown-varieties.aspx
I've tried Royal Gala, Red Delicious and a few others, but I'm still not sure which one I prefer.

 

[Ganymede]

This page sums it up, I think: http://www.aussieapples.com.au/aussie-grown-varieties.aspx
I've tried Royal Gala, Red Delicious and a few others, but I'm still not sure which one I prefer.

Interesting!

Anything with the word "Delicious" in is related to Golden Delicious and will be quite sugary, not aromatic. Therefore useful in a blend but too sweet on its own. Granny S is sharp. Pink Lady is a new variety designed to appeal to the sweeter tooth but is nice. Braeburn is aromatic and crispy and juicy and not too sweet and I would have thought would make excellent juice.

We have a little cider press and make our own cider every year, and freeze fresh apple juice in plastic containers - we store the blocks of juice in plastic bags in the freezer. We do have a big freezer!

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Aye, so Braeburn it is, then, if I can find any. Thanks for the tips.