Your crab looks like mini Golden Delicious. What is the acid/sugar balance on those? More sweet or tart? I have a nice 6 foot M111 waiting on it.
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It is both sweet and tart balanced. The more cold nights it gets as it ripens the better it is. The best part is they are long keepers. That harrison in the picture above is a good crabapple as well.
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Yeah, the keeling part is very appealing. Looks and sounds like one to grow. Iām glad to know Harrison is good out of hand. Itās from my hometown actually, or very nearby. I had no idea until a few years ago an itenerant orchard grafter/pruner friend of mine was telling me how he was topworking all of these trees over to this hot new variety (new like George Washington that is) called Harrison. I looked it up and was flabbergasted that there had been a whole cider industry in and around the Oranges- Newark, NJ area. I grafted a whole mess of them after that. I love making cider. It didnāt occur to me that itād be good eating too.
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And so it is. I got my first samples of Pipsqueak this year, and while theyāre not much to look at - a little rough-skinned, almost russeted - theyāre quite sweet and crunchy. The flavor isnāt quite as strong as Frostbiteās, but clearly akin to it. Mine are small, about Wickson-sized, but I didnāt thin them.
I munched a few during my morning orchard stroll today, and I think I may go back for a few more in a minute.
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Iāve got just a few Pipsqueaks to try this year. Fedco says they ripen around October 1 at their location, so Iām thinking I should wait at least another couple weeks before trying one.
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Many apples are fruiting early here (Northern California) this season, so youāre probably wise to do so.
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I was out picking the rest of my Zestar today and couldnāt resist picking and eating a Pipsqueak. Iām glad I did. They appear to be ripe, or very close to it. This is going to be my householdās favorite crab for fresh eating. Better than Chesntut is the consensus here. Fedcoās description of the skin being almost like a kiwi fruit is quite accurate.
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I was thinking of Dungeness, but wrong kind, haha.
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I would agree with that. Better than Trailman, too. I probably still prefer Wickson, but the latter is pretty unusual and not to everyoneās taste.
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Iāve not tasted Wickson yet, my tree is growing well though. Maybe next year
Yep. I like Trailman, but wouldnāt put them in the same class as Chestnut. Chestnut is better than many āregular sizedā apples IMO. My Chestnuts this year are ripening early. They arenāt as good as they are in cooler years where it actually rains.
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Any Clarkās crabapple scions available? If not, any suggestions for who may have them? Thanks.
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Yeah, Chestnut is tops. Anyone have a stick of Pipsqueak to share? Sounds like one to have.
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I think I shared my only pipsqueak scion. I have high hopes for that one. The graft has been very vigorous.
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Our Whitney crabapple seems to be sweeter than our Wickson. We planted Whitney trees because we planned to pickle the crabs. Now my wife complains they are too large to fit in her pickle jars.
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Can anyone recommend a place to buy POTTED Harrison crabapple trees somewhere in Maryland or southern Pennsylvania? Four years ago, we bought a crabapple online but it probably will take another 7-8 years to produce.
The very first apples produced on one of my trees was Chestnut, and they were too bitter to eat. I regrafted the tree when I read they were prone to bitter pit.
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