It is important to look at the apple trees when deciding whether the apples are ready to pick, because the apples mature at different times, depending on:

• the season - this year they are 2 weeks earlier than normal
• variety

Early apples e.g. Discovery, Laxton’s Advance and Beauty of Bath, are usually ready in August. They are ready when they change colour and start to drop off the tree. They should be eaten immediately as they do not store well. They can be kept for several weeks in the fridge, if they are in a perforated plastic bag.

Mid-season apples e.g. Scrumptious and James Grieve, are ready in September. If the apple comes off easily when it is lifted and twisted, it is ready. But these apples do not all ripen together, so the tree will have to be picked two or three times. Mid-season apples are best eaten immediately as they do not store well.

Late apples e.g. Barnack Beauty, Sunset, Bramley’s Seedling, Laxton’s Pearmain, Laxton’s Superb and Newton Wonder, are treated differently. They are picked before they are ripe, before the frosts and winds of late October. When one or two start to drop off the tree in October, it is time to pick the apples. They should be stored for a few weeks to allow them to ripen, when they will become sweeter and softer.

Pick apples carefully:

• do not bruise the the apples
• place the apples in the basket gently, do not let them drop
• pad the basket with soft material to avoid apples bruising

Apples picked at the right time will taste superb.