Brogdale - Home of the National Fruit Collection

Brogdale Orchards Ltd
Macknade Natural Garden Centre
Selling Road
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8XF

Tel: +44 (0)1795 858140
Fax: +44 (0)1795 531710

Brogdale Orchards Plant Centre
are now trading from:-
Mount Ephraim Gardens
Staple Street
Hernhill
Near Faversham
Kent
ME13 9TX

Tel: +44 (0)1795 858140
Email: plantcentre@btconnect.com

Seasons & Storage

HOW TO DISCOVER THE FLAVOURS OF TRADITIONAL APPLES

The old varieties of apples were of value because they each had their season, a period of months (sometimes only weeks), during which they were at their best. The picking time is critical to get the full flavour to develop in store, but in general at the time of picking there is only a hint of the true flavour and usually too much acidity. This is very noticeable in the late season apples, some of which will be too acid and possibly too hard until the New Year.

BROGDALE APPLES
The apples available at Brogdale can usually be seen in terms of 3 seasons (ignoring the very early apples which are picked and used in July or August).

The First Group are available in Mid September and can be eaten over a period of 1 – 2 months.

The Second Group (picked late September or early October) are mostly at their best between October and December, subject to variety, with some care in storage. The main requirements being: keeping them cool and dark in humid conditions (such as in plastic bags with a few holes pricked in them).

The Third Group (mostly picked later in October) will not develop their flavours until November, December or in the New Year and many will keep in cool conditions until March or later.

KEEPING APPLES
For short periods the coolest place available should be used. In an unheated room at floor level ripening is much slower than in a fruit bowl on a sideboard.

The late varieties can be kept initially in plastic bags as described later. The late apples will often change colour sometimes quite dramatically, perhaps from blue/green to golden yellow without softening. Most varieties will become sweet as the acidity falls. Late russets and reinettes show this especially well.

STORING APPLES
The development of flavours in apples is best and slower in cool, dark and humid conditions (in a refrigerator it can be too slow). In a cool garage or shed (away from odours) all that is required is a few cardboard boxes in which the apples can be laid in plastic bags which have a few holes pricked in them to slowly release the gases that form. If the shed is too exposed, to protect against frost, covers should be used of further boxes filled with crumpled newspaper which will also reduce the effect of winter sun. In some situations it may be necessary to guard against rodents etc. by using wire netting.

In a town house with the normal roof insulation it is possible to create a store using a large cardboard box, possibly created from smaller ex-supermarket boxes. They can also be used to surround the container with the boxes filled with insulation of crumpled paper or foam plastic for insulation against frost and sun. If the container is made to hold the standard smaller supermarket boxes 3 boxes wide by 3 boxes high, with the opening on the side facing the loft hatch and a loose cardboard panel, then it will hold 45.5 kg (100lbs) approximately.

Nearly ripe apples will accelerate the ripening of the lates so should not be mixed without more ventilation.

It is necessary to inspect the apples weekly to remove any that may rot, especially at the beginning, mostly those that had unnoticed damage, holes or bruises. Transparent plastic bags make this easy to do.

The chore of the inspections is well compensated by the wonderful scents that build up between inspections and having as many as 10 different flavours to try at any one time.

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