North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Title: Re: [NAFEX] How to ID/use Lodi apples?  

Like so many fruits, your apple (if it's Lodi) would probably be different in another climate.  I've had Lodi here in Oregon that, while not really inspiring, was tart and pleasant enough for early season applesauce, at least.  Since it was selected in Geneva, NY, your area may be too warm for it to develop much flavor.  The description you gave tallies pretty well with what's in the Register of New Fruit and Nut Varieties.

> I've picked a whole bunch of apples from a tree in town, it's a biennial
> bearer, with very heavy crops on the alternate years, the tree is very
> healthy with almost no CAR spots in spite of a rainy summer, and few codling
> moths.
> I think that a tree that does as well as this one does might have been
> widely planted in spite of the fact that the apples are completely tasteless
> and pretty much worthless for anything you might want an apple for.
>      I've heard that Lodi is such a sorry apple that codling moths hardly
> touch it, and is a biennial bearer, so I suspect it's a Lodi
> tree.  The fruit are on the flattish side, and some are a bit lumpy.  It
> never gets any red blush or stripes, and barely gets yellowish.  No acid,
> low sugar, not juicy, fairly crisp till it's pretty ripe, and very slightly
> bitter.  Holds it's shape when cooked, makes a dry pie, and when dried has
> neither flavor nor sweetness to recommend it.  What do you all think?  I
> would guess the tree is 50-60 years, the house is 50 years old, and other
> trees of its size on that block were part of an orchard planted 60 yrs ago.
> The tree has not been sprayed, and a RD in the same yard has some CAR.
>     The description in my Fruit, Berry, and Nut Inventory seems to fit
> except that it's not EXTRA early.  I just got the end of the crop July 25,
> which probably peaked about July 15, a YT or Early Harvest tree I know was
> done by then and a
> Red June tree was nearly finished.  It is certainly crisper and keeps better
> than any of the extra early apples.
>     I've made pies out of them, which my husband seems to find edible.  But
> I used most of them to start some cider, as I figure I can find some decent
> apples or even some quinces to give it some flavor later.  Anyone got any
> ideas on anything such tasteless apples are good for?   Donna