Is this a cooking apple?

I've walked past a tree today I've walked past a million times before and I've just noticed apples growing on it. Plus a million on the floor.

I thought it too rude to knock on the front door and ask what apple it was. So I just climbed on the wall and picked a couple

I understand there's a lot of apples in the world. Does this look like a cooking apple to anyone else? Any harm in cooking any old apple?

 

Well it has the look of a cooking apple, but its really early to be using them, they will not be ripe.

I find it funny you thought it would be rude to knock on the door and ask, but climbed on the wall and did some scrumping.

 

Yep, that's definitely scrumping.

The cooking apples that I am familiar with tend to be from tip bearers where the fruit forms on the very tips of the branches.

The apples in the picture look very much like desert apples, possibly, a granny smith-type.

A trick for eating unripe and sour fruit is to dip it in salt.

 

The being rude by knocking on the door part was a bit of joke really. My girl did say I was naughty too

I read that apples are ripe when they come off with a simple twist. These apples pretty much come off by just touching them. I don't want to make a bad tasting crumble. Half the apples were on the floor. They didn't look too good though.

 

Windfalls are also perfectly acceptable, especially if you are going to cook them.

Just use your eyes and nose to determine if they are still edible. Obviously, they should not be bruised or smell like the contents of a fermentation tank.

 

I'm thinking they are basically what we call drops, the tree decides its got too many so sheds some, it comes after the so called June drop, but before the end of summer windfalls.

Personally I dont think they are worth bothering with, my Bramley is dropping a few now, hard as bullets and will need a bucket load of sugar to make them edible, but the real flavour will not be there.
But try them by all means.

 

Ah ok. Perhaps I'll just give them a miss and return next month

Thank you.

 

Dont fall off the wall