What's this apple?

Bit of a long shot. Saw it growing wild by a farmers field on my way home. Wonder if its worth picking a few...

 

give one a bite and see, it looks a lovely colour.

It could be from a apple core someone has thrown away.

When I use to travel in to Cardiff by train there was apple tree in the middle of all the lines all by its tod , used to be smoothed in apples every year no pruning no nothing ..

Spruce

 

Brogdale have over 2,000 named apples in their collection.
Need a real expert in apples to even begin a guess.
Then the colour, size, taste all come into calculation, as well as how the leaves look.

http://www.brogdalecollections.co.uk/about-the-national-fruit-collection.html

It may not even have a name ..could be a cross between other apple trees.
Even if not an eating apple it will be good for chutney or crab apple jelly.

 

yes, please do a taste test @jungle jane . Would love to know what it's like,
Jenny

 

It looks like a 'Russet' to me.

 

I will pick one up today on my travels and give it a go.

Just to clarify though and I hope I am mistaken. But if a apple tree is grown from a discarded core then the apple won't taste as good compaired to if it was grown on a rootstock? I know about the vigour of the tree, pests, dieseases etc, but not the actual taste of the fruits themselves.

 

The Apple may not be ripe yet.
Gently hold the bottom of an apple. Lift the apple against the stem and gently twist. If the apple comes off easily, it is ripe and ready to be picked. If it requires a forceful tug, it is not quite ready to harvest.

Grafting onto the rootstock is a way of quickly producing trees of a consistent size and variety.
To grow all trees from pips would take far longer and the apple variety might not be true to type.
The rootstock used to graft any variety of apple on to, does not affect the flavour of the apples.


http://www.carrobgrowers.co.uk/images/rootstock_chart.jpg

Using a particular rootstock ...such as M27 (which gives really dwarf apple trees,) simply means all the trees will be a uniform/consistent size .

http://www.realenglishfruit.co.uk/images/rootstocks.JPG


So...your apple could be really juicey and taste absolutely fab..or be really sour and dry.

 

This tree is just growing wild on the edge of a farmers field
It probably just grew from a pip... the actual name/variety/rootstock is of no importance!
Just try it Jungle Jane!
If tasty then that is a bonus.

 

Thank you @Spruce for that fascinating history of the Bramley. One of Britain's finest apples. Couldn't imagine an Apple pie without Bramleys,
Jenny

 

As requested the link

http://www.bramleyapples.co.uk/bramley-apples-history/

 

I also gather enough to press them for juice as rubbish tasting 'wild' eaters can produce good pressed juice.

 

Incredibly tart with a cooking apple texture. Couldn't eat anymore after trying it. Wonder if it is a cooker after all.

 

Not a problem...try it cooked.
Make wine, apple jelly, chutney.etc etc

 

Maybe not ready eat yet ? just like my "Sunset"

Spruce