Kitchen Garden Forum

Is there any foolproof way to determine when Bramley apples are ripe for picking? I usually pick mid-September, but this year - perhaps due to the hot summer? - my very good crop seems to be getting a pink blush mid August, and some are falling off with a bit of wind. Should I leave for another couple of weeks or perhaps pick any that look ripeish and leave the very green ones?
Thank you for any advice.

You could cut a fallen one and check the pips. If still white then not yet ripe, if brown then they are. Or you could cook a couple with some sugar and if you find them acceptable just carry on picking!

MW

Thank you M-W. One problem - cut into two apples and not a pip in sight!
Back to square one, do not pass go, do not collect 200 apples!

Back to the cooking option then!

Question! What are you going to do with 200 Bramley apples? That's an awful lot of stewed apple or apple pies

Primrose, our neighbour always gives us a large box of apples from his tree (cooking and eating apple) and I cook them and freeze them in small batches because we eat fresh and stewed fruit with muesli for breakfast every morning. I would therefor have no problem using 200 Bramleys! And what about apple chutney?

I was being a bit "Monopoly flippant" in my original comment, I don't think there are as many as 200, probably about 100. However, my local pub chef is going to take some to make chutney, and let me have some of the product. And later, in late September, use some of my quinces, which are also prolific - I'm a great supporter of barter.

we picked clean our small tree last week, they came off easily. I have since peeled, chopped and cooked a lot of them, to freeze, and they cooked down nicely and taste fabulous with just a smidge of demerara. I am very much looking forward to apple crumble in the winter