One variable is : when was it picked?
Cider makers often suggest storing apples for a couple weeks at room temp to give some of the starches time to convert to sugar. I notice that about 3 weeks in root-cellar conditions certainly sweetens them, but those that donāt store well will store worse if you do this.
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I was wondering if apples get sweeter on the tree once leaves have fallen off or would picking them and storage do the same thing?
I asked two different AIs the question ācan apples on a tree sweeten when leaves fall offā and got two opposite answers: Ans 1. Yes the tree makes them sweeter even without leaves. Ans 2. No once the leaves are gone the tree does not make the fruit sweeter.
Iām not sure if the sweetening comes from the tree but I do know that they can continue to ripen on the tree and probably with less danger of softening then bringing them inside and sweetening them up by keeping them at room temp for a couple of weeks.
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My Pink Lady (Cripps Pink) Brix was not high but I still enjoyed them. Picked some Nov 29th. Brix 11.5, not sweet but good. Dec 15 Brix 12.5. Remaining were taken by critters except one. Picked Jan 1. Brix was 12 so extra time on tree didnāt help that one. Not much sun Nov and Dec. The ones in storage Iāll try in Feb-March and see if Brix changes.
Need something earlier so Iāll be looking for PLMAS98 (Maslin), PLBAR B1 (Barnsby) or PLFOG99 (Pink Belle).
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In our region, this is a poor year to evaluate apples or most other fruit, unless you are comparing things in your own orchard this year. Fruit was relatively bland because of all the rain.
Agree completely. It was not a good year with all the rain. That said I still enjoyed my Cripps Pink texture and flavor even if not sweet so I highly rate it. With more sun it may have ripened sooner.
Mine ripened soon enough as did most of my apples, but they were all lower brix than usual. I will eventually write a report about which ones performed the best under these conditions.
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Was very surprised how good and sweet all my apples were in spite of conditions in SE NYS. I attribute it to my quite sandy subsoil.
Requires more fertilizer but good for drainage.
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I just picked one at an orchard I was pruning in Greenwich CT. Straight old-strain pink lady. It was so good that I decided to take some of it home and measure the brix. 15!
Never harvested an apple in NY in January before. This site is not quite coastal, but itās warmer than mine and probably hasnāt dropped below 21F yet. A couple weeks ago I harvested a couple of Granny Smithās that were excellent on a site where PL wasnāt as good. At this site, the taste was perfume and special.
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When the sun is low during Nov and December Iām getting too much shade on my Cripps PInk even on sunny days so that probably is reducing Brix level.
āterroirā is a thing with apples too.
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I posted a picture with the owner of this orchard and myself. His site is indeed blessed with the ability to produce high quality fruit. The wildlife knows. I not only have to baffle the trees from squirrels and coons, but net them from birds as well- but only the stonefruit. At one nearby site, many varieties of apples also need netting- especially low-acid and early ripening types.
I just tested a Goldrush from the same orchard I picked the Pink Lady- 20 brix! But it was a small apple and had the red markings that indicate scale. It had a slightly off taste.
Do his trees apple trees get all day sun?
Of course, and that is always a brix advantage. His soil also has very good drainage, although it is more loam than sand. Brix tends to get higher in sandy soils- at least in the humid region.
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