They were definitely not the best tasting nects I’ve ever eaten—too out of balance at that Brix. They weren’t as juicy as they normally are, which I’d imagine would have to be the case for something to be that sweet. Still, they were not bad at all.
I’ve eaten this fruit as grown in California many times, and it has an excellent acid-sugar balance, but definitely develops high sugars.
They are all really nice!
I’ve only grown nects in the 20’s brix range on a Honey Royale tree that was a terrible producer here. Only one season did wildlife allow me to eat any of the tiny crops and at about 25 brix the fruit was unlike a nectarine to me and more like some tropical concoction- syrupy rather than juicy. No discernible acid, but when fruit gets over about 16 brix, I can live with that.
Here, a good nect starts at about 15 brix and rarely gets more than a few points over that. Once they get up to about 17 I would not find any increase especially pleasing. Commercial ones that get shipped here rarely get higher than 13, which is frustrating given that they are grown in CA where the sky is the limit. I did get a single small flat of very sweet ones from Cosco this year. The little crate touted them as being truly tree ripened (including suggesting the white freckles were the result of high sugar).
Unfortunately, commercial CA growers have largely converted to low acid varieties and never identify their products as such.
American consumers are really ignorant about fruit, unfortunately, so high quality is generally not a huge asset to the seller, nor is any description of the relative acidity of the product.
I got a chance to see what was available to consumers this year because my own stone fruit crop failed due to late hard frost.
Thanks to @HighandDry, I have Muscat de Venus in my garden. I have not tried it yet but @SMC_zone6 has praised it.
I love HAG and Rubinette.
Gold Rush sometime drops early at my location and if I keep them refrigerated they become good tasting a few months later. This year I had several make it through the hot season and they are still hanging on the tree. While looking over them yesterday I found one that had turned golden. Picked it and fresh off the tree it had an outstanding taste with a yellowing inside flesh. I’m leaning toward thinking that my season is long enough to not have to refrigerate before achieving a high quality apple. Most years we don’t get freezing weather until late October and even later on for it to get into the mid 20s F.
That is interesting. They are not at all prone to drop here, and birds often enjoy them form the trees in late winter when most other apple trees have dropped their apples.
I already love them off the tree and only think refrigeration gradually makes them more like yellow delicious. When they turn yellow and have a bit of red blush they are perfect. The problem is that seasons here often don’t allow the majority of the crop to achieve perfect ripeness, especially when not in full sun. They can be a great apple here when ripened properly, otherwise they are only good at best. The least ripe on a short season aren’t worth storing or eating. Whence, I’m experimenting with Crunch-a-Bunch- supposedly an early ripening Goldrush.
Pink Lady is another great apple with a similar ripening problem here. Supposedly ACN has a variety that ripens two weeks sooner. I have one of them in the second year with 4 apples on it (on 111 so it’s quite precocious) so if I protect it from vermin I may be able to report on it in a couple of weeks if it actually does ripen earlier. My Pink Lady has a very light crop this year but enough to offer a comparison.
I also have Pink Lady and it does well at my location. Both are very good fruit to my taste. It would be interesting to see how Crunch a Bunch performs.
Unfortunately I got my tree from Gurney’s as a toothpick and then it was partially girdled by a vole. It staggered and appeared about to die but rebounded and is now almost as large as a tree that is the usual size of ones I get out of the box from ACN- 3 seasons after planting it!.
I have a decent sized Goldrush with a healthy central graft of CaB on it that should begin bearing next season (don’t tell anyone). I thought my original tree was going to die.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one.
@SMC_zone6
I am planning to have an apple taste tasting in a week or two. I may have almost 10 varieties to try if squirrels do not take them first.
You are invited.
The Opal Apple has a very rich flavor.
Almost impossible to get any trees. The Commercial Growers don’t want to share.
My favorite also
Especially
Roxbury Russet
Opal is one of many “Club apples”. You are not in the club, you are not allowed to grow them.
I’ve got a Crunch a Bunch too. The description sounds great, although sounds like it may not be as hard or dense as Goldrush. They say that as though its an improvement. I’m not so sure I’ll agree. I like hard, dense apples.
I had several Crunch A Bunch apples off my tree last year (biennial this year). It was a very good apple, similar in taste and look to Gold Rush. It is a very good alternative for those who cannot grow GR because of its late ripening.
Mine ripened in mid to late Oct so for me, it was not that much earlier than GR. Other people said they CaB ripens much earlier than GR.
Sadly, for the first time since 2012 we won’t be having our cider pressing party with an apple tasting test included. A couple of friends may stop by this weekend, and we hope to sample some apple varieties with them, at least.
I had it either last year or the year before. It was fun esp. when people have very refined taste buds attend. I have a friend who can detect a lot of things from one bite and can articulate it well. He is on an inviation list.
Me, I can only said, sweet, sour, mixed, like it, don’t like it, very simple.
.
Tippy, my OR have been beautiful as russets go. Excellent flavor and disease resistant except CAR.
