Do I need to pick GoldRush apples before 27 degree night?

Bob, I’m happy to see your loaded GoldRush tree bent over like that, since mine looks the same and I was a bit worried about that, though it does seem to be holding up fine. In fact I thinned about 800 apples from it back in early June. Seems like every month brings a new worry for the amateur… However I did eat an apple that had fallen from the tree today and it was pretty tasty, despite not being fully ripe.

My thermometer says 19.7 right now. I will see in a few hours how my apples fared. Lots of them are still on the trees, but all I need are in storage. However, without Goldrush, I won’t have anything worth eating by about mid-winter.

Same here in Maine, around 20F. 2nd half of Baldwin, most of Golden Delicious, Goldrush still on trees, most certainly frozen through. We shall see…they might all be destined for the cider mill at this point.

It was 28 here at 8:30 (2 degrees under what WC reported for my zip). So our min was probably around 25-26. I bet Goldrush will be fine, but I’m interested to see what it does to kiwi and jujube.

As I said, 19.7 degrees and I just tested a Goldrush after placing it by my fire for a couple of hours. It is still as firm as ever!

It may have been a couple degrees warmer in the branches of this tree than where the thermometer was- I can’t be sure about that.

Yep…went out and checked mine and they seem just fine although they seem to me like they’re a bit paler in color. Not sure about that. I grasp one tightly in my hand and it was still real cold inside. I squeezed them hard and like Alan says, they also seem firm as before.
I had looked into the sugar as an antifreeze thing yesterday after posting. I sorta thought I remembered something about that. I did not find just how much prevention it offers though. For me though, there has to be something more to it. What could it be? Watermelon for example would have been totally destroyed here last night.
Maybe some cellular tissue has more elasticity than others, but then I would think fruit with that attribute would be less firm.
Whatever the reason, it looks like they’ll be fine…glad for that.
BTW…they’ve been yellow/gold for some time, actually they really haven’t changed in appearance for well over a month. I think I’ll probably pick them before the next freeze.

If they are at near 20 brix they might be ripe.

Yeah…I should check them…I got the refractometer and everything. Can’t imagine the sugar being very high though after my sample the other day. For all I know, they may be entirely devoid of sugar.

This will go a long ways to diagnosing the issue.

Incidentally, Jonagolds still have crispy texture after thawing as do Korean Giant pears. I had harvested most of the KG pears- didn’t think they’d make it.

Just went and used it for the first time. Amazed at how clear and easy to read this thing is. I’ve had it for about two months. So the Goldrush measured at exactly 15 brix.

For comparison I checked my Honeycrisp which measured 13.8. I have a very hard time believing these GR have more sugar than my Honeycrisp. HC is sweet as candy and the GR tastes like pure acid.

Amazed.

oh…what is the 20C all about on the right side of the scale?

One of my Jonagold trees are right next to one of my Gold Rush and trying both of them my Jonagolds seem much more like battery acid than my Gr. The Goldrush seems pretty mild.

That’s normal for a high acid fruit, Goldrush vs a low acid fruit, Honeycrisp. The acid drops in storage.

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My HC’s came in at 12.5, were bloody huge and too bland for me. I gave them away to the local food bank where they were a huge hit. I tasted fruit from a couple of trees where they got up to 13.5 and it made a world of difference. That is where HC needs to be, IMO.

My jaded palate much prefers higher brix varieties. I’ve not recorded a ripe Goldrush yet but it is supposed to routinely break 20 % and that’s probably why I find it so appealing.

I wish brix potential of apple variety info was more available. It would help me determine heirlooms I’d like to try because lower brix apples just don’t appeal to me. This forum begins to perform this service in large part because of FN’s influence.

Our apples also seem fine. Every day the squirrels nibble one or two and I pick them. The latest such tasted fine. By the way, not only does sugar lower the freezing temperature of a solution, but so does acid. The apples are still completely hard and the insides undamaged, and I suspect it got down to around 22 degrees.

What are your Goldrush reading right now? I’m tempted to pluck another to see if the brix level has risen from last week. We’ve had some cloudy days and cool temps since then, so I’m thinking there has likely been little change. They are however becoming a more golden yellow, but I’m kinda thinking that is more related to the below freezing temps…I dunno.
Check your’s when you get a chance and post it, I’ll do the same and get a comparison and maybe learn a little something about how apples ripen in terms of brix.

Jonagold must be pretty high because they seem like battery acid compared to my Goldrush.

Jonagold never is sharper tasting than Goldrush here- it is a mild and sweet apple of high quality.

Appleseed, I haven’t bothered trying my Rush yet and am thinking this may not be a good year for them because leaves are starting to die out and they are still green. That was record cold we got in the last snap and spring started a week late.

I just picked a Goldrush that is just over 13 but is quite delicious. The only reason I expect them to hit 19 is because I’ve read they do. I’ve a client that has better apples than mine from dawn to dusk sun- plus I did a better job of thinning his trees. When I get a chance I will measure one from that orchard.

Huge Jonagold’s and Mott Pink Tart (post)

Using fruit

John I posted pics of my Jonagolds that are terrific this year. Huge, sweet and juicy. Slight tartness. Perfect for pies and applesauce.