I mostly just know what I’ve read, to be honest, though I have eaten Cox and baked with what were supposed to be Bramleys (though they didn’t have the classic Bramley look to them). It seems like the big one is probably a traditional English cooker of some variety at any rate.
(As it happens, I experienced both Cox and Bramley as Scott varieties, in the sense that we got them from the Scott Farm orchard in VT. Never been to Scotland, though!)
My guesses are based on the premise that trees planted in the eighties were more likely to be standard UK varieties than unusual heirlooms, and Cox, Bramley, and James Grieve would fit the bill and seem to fit the descriptions given decently well. But you’re right that local guidance would be best.
Hi there, thanks for this. 1 and 2 are in my back garden. 3 is in the front garden of my neighbour. I would probably rule out a Bramley - I have a box of those in the garage from my friend’s back garden and these are a very different in size, texture and acidity to apple 1. It’s a bit difficult to describe these things of course…while I was saying that the dominant attribute in apple 1 is acidity, that is the case, but it’s not an out and out super-acidic apple. If we were to just say a Bramley is “10/10” on a scale for acidity (one being slightly acid, 10 being very), then apple 1 would probably be at 6. (Also, if you click on the images themselves - like apple 2 - it opens up to a larger image where you see the apple).
Yes, Cox does look more like it for Apple 2. Although, since you’ve never been to Scotland, feel free to come over and check in person! ~Thanks for looking into this.
You can put in names of apple varieties people here suggested (or you and your neighbors could think of) and see if they match the description on the Orangepippins site.
I happen to grow Cox which is a very fussy apple here at my own site. I have a couple of trees in a more favorable one for it, up on top of a hill with sun dawn to dusk. It doesn’t really look like the photos, although more like the top one although the creases in the calyx end do not seem appropriate.
Here, when the apples are falling off ripe they are actually quite sweet. There’s acid in the mix, but they lack true tartness.
Brambley’s is quite tart when ripe and extremely hard. I love it for cooking, but then, my last name is Haigh.
~Thanks for looking into this.