Interesting, I haven’t encountered anyone that said Chestnut crab was bitter at all. I have also never seen bitter pit in Chestnut. Some years they will get a bit of watercore if I let them hang too long. Maybe the variety doesn’t do well at your location.
“Bitter pit” is a confusing term. It doesn’t actually mean that it causes the fruit to taste bitter. Rather it means they develop with defects (including shape and texture). Apples are very prone to calcium deficiency in my area and I’ve never noticed it cause actual bitterness. If your apple was bitter (like dandelion greens) then perhaps it was a different crabapple mislabeled as ‘Chestnut’. Some people also mean “sour” when they say “bitter”. If that’s the case then perhaps they simply weren’t ripe when picked.
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Yes, exactly! We have very acid clay, and putting lime on top is no way enough to deal with the Calcium deficiency way down. The apples had dark flecks in them, a weird texture, and I suppose not bitter like dandelion, but a weird astringent effect on the tongue.
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Some crabapples can be very astringent for sure. Perhaps someone gave you the wrong one.
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Still waiting for my Chestnut grafts to fruit, but I’ve wondered about the possibility that an apple that originated in MN (z5a/4b) may not perform as well down here in what’s now designated as z7a.
That said, ‘Trailman’, which originated and was trialed in Manitoba/Alberta, seems right at home here, and produces the tastiest apple I ever ate.
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I’ve grown chestnut for years and I’ve never had a bitter one. We have extremely low calcium soils naturally. I did a soil test and found that out. Then I added calcium. Now I’m adding calcium as part of my biochar inoculation protocol in the way of Ag lime. Still no bitter pit or strange tasting chestnut crabs. I think they’re delicious.
John S
PDX OR
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